


waste our weeks beneath the sun

by alovething



Series: reinventing love [5]
Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 21:02:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/996668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alovething/pseuds/alovething
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been a crazy summer for Jared and Jensen. They’ve graduated high school, lost their virginities, and came out to their parents. Not to mention falling in love – with each other. With only a month left before they have to kiss their childhood goodbye and head off to college, the two of them take off on a road trip. Along the way they learn what it really means to be in a relationship with your best friend. It may not be easy, but it’s definitely always worth it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	waste our weeks beneath the sun

One week after Jared turned 16 and they both got their licenses, they drove out to Santa Monica. All by themselves. It was fucking _awesome_.

Which, okay. Santa Monica is only like an hour tops from where they live (if you get lucky trying to get through the gigantic parking lot they call Los Angeles) but still. They went _alone_. No fretting parents, no annoying older brothers. Just them – Jared and Jensen against the world. 

They let the dizzy rush of freedom get to their heads as they walked along the boardwalk, buzzed from funnel cakes topped with sugar. Jensen came up with the idea as they waited in line for the roller coaster. He’d clapped his hand down on Jared’s bony shoulder and squeezed, eyes bright and happy. 

“For your 18th birthday,” Jensen had said. “After we graduate. We’re gonna take a fucking epic road trip, dude. We’re going to scour this state.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Jared replied, licking the last remnants of powdered sugar from his thumb. “Now get on the ride, you pussy.”

They leave bright and early on a Monday morning, one day after Jared turns eighteen. They’re expecting some sort of fanfare from the parents, a chorus of _be careful_ ’s and _call me when you get there_ ’s, but all they really get is Donna kicking them out when she finds Jared attempting to shove every single item of food that could qualify as a snack into his backpack.

“I’m a growing boy!” Jared shouts, and the sentiment is punctuated by the sharp _ding_ of the toaster oven, signaling that his Toaster’s Strudel is ready. His foot gets caught in the strap of the backpack as he tries to make a break for it and he slams into the wall. Donna and Jensen just roll their eyes as Jared rubs his shoulder and slinks into the kitchen.

“Get out of my house,” Donna grumbles, pushing on Jensen’s shoulder. She’s yawning blearily and tripping over her long pajama pants. Jensen smiles as he hugs her. 

“We’ll call you,” Jensen says, and she nods as she pulls away. Jensen grabs Jared by the back of the shirt and heads for the front door, the taller boy almost tripping over his own feet in an attempt to grab his backpack and not drop his breakfast.

“Hey, don’t be a bitch to me just because you have a personal vendetta against mornings,” Jared says around a mouthful of strawberry filled strudel. “Bye Donna!” 

The air is still chilly when they climb into Jensen’s Saturn (a graduation gift from his stupidly rich grandparents). Jared finishes his breakfast as Jensen pulls out of the driveway, licking sticky frosting from his fingers. Jensen doesn’t say a word until he pulls up to the drive-thru window of the nearest Starbucks and orders something ridiculously complicated. 

“You should have ordered your venti triple shot skinny vanilla latte with extra _gay_ ,” Jared says casually. “Because I know that’s how you like it.”

Extra gay or not, the punch Jensen lands on Jared’s thigh fucking _hurts_.

Jensen pays an extravagant amount to fuel his addiction and relaxes back against the seat. The overly chipper barista tries to engage him in conversation and he just grunts, nowhere near awake enough to force conversation with a stranger. Especially a stranger hopped up on free espresso.

Jared scoffs and unbuckles his seatbelt, leaning over Jensen to stick his head out of the window. Jensen scowls and presses himself back against the seat. 

“Ignore him. He’s a bitch,” Jared says to her, and Jensen flicks his hip. “Jessie, right? You were in my Spanish class.”

“Yeah,” Jessie replies, a blush covering her cheeks. “Hi Jared. How’ve you been?”

“Great!” Jared replies, and Jensen gets a mouthful of hair as he awkwardly tries to take his change from Jessie. “It’s my birthday.”

Jensen scoffs. Jared’s birthday was yesterday, but it’s not unusual for him to try to stretch one day into an entire week. Or month. 

“Really?” Jessie exclaims. “Hold on!” She comes back a moment later and gives Jared a cookie. Jared gives her a heartbreaking grin and winks at her.

“Gorgeous _and_ sweet,” Jared croons, and Jensen rolls his eyes.

Jared pretty much wrote the book on flirting. He’s been doing it since he’s been able to talk, and girls are no match for his sweet, dimpled grin and pretty, honest eyes. Jared’s flirting has gotten them free food. It’s gotten them into movies, concerts, and sporting events. Jared’s flirting is pretty much legendary. 

And he doesn’t bother stopping when Jensen is around. Not that he minds, really. 

He doesn’t.

Jared attracts people like honey attracts bears. There’s just something about him, something so open and honest that people can’t help wanting to be around him. He has some sort of gregarious quality that Jensen could never dream of imitating, even if he wanted to. 

Jessie hands Jared the latte and Jared gives her a cheerful goodbye as he pulls himself back into the car. He sticks the straw into Jensen’s drink and hands it over. 

“Bye Jared,” Jessie says, giggling a little. “Come back any time.”

Jared’s flirting doesn’t bother him, not at all. He hides his annoyed scowl behind his coffee cup and blames it on the lack of caffeine and the early hour.

They drive in comfortable silence for a while, and Jensen’s latte is gone much sooner than he would have liked. Jared stares out of the windshield, one bored hand lifted to absently play with the hair at the base of Jensen’s neck. It’s grown out a little, fluttering in the breeze coming though the open window as he squints into the sun.

“Uh, you’re supposed to go north to the 101,” Jared says when Jensen merges onto I-5 south. Jared pulls his hand away and Jensen bites playfully at it. 

“We’re making a little detour,” Jensen says, grinning wide and happy. Jared furrows his brow. Jensen had been meticulous about the itinerary. 

“A detour to where?” Jared asks. 

“It’s a secret,” Jensen says. Jared juts out his bottom lip, puppy eyes out in full force. Jensen rolls his eyes and smirks. “Now don’t pout, baby. We’ll be there soon enough.” 

“I hate surprises,” Jared mumbles, and Jensen chuckles. 

“You _love_ surprises,” Jensen retorts. “Now just sit back and wait.” 

Soon enough Los Angeles is behind them, and the freeways above crisscross in a dizzy maze of hot black asphalt. There isn’t much to look at once the LA skyline is behind them; just billboards and outlet malls and brown, drying grass. 

Jared presses his face against the glass once they hit Anaheim, hoping to catch a peek of the tiptop of the Matterhorn at Disneyland, when suddenly Jensen merges to the right and takes the South Harbor Boulevard exit. Jared’s eyes widen and he whips his head around to look at Jensen, his gorgeous, awesome, _perfect_ boyfriend who is apparently taking him to fucking _Disneyland_ to kick off his birthday road trip.

“No,” Jared says in disbelief, his head snapping back and forth between Jensen’s exuberant face and the tops of the rides visible inside the walls of the happiest place on earth. “No way. Are you – you’re not – _Jensen_! Oh my god!”

“Calm down,” Jensen laughs as he navigates his way into the Mickey and Friends parking structure. He flushes beet red when Jared leans over to sloppily kiss his cheek at the same moment he’s handing cash to the parking attendant. Jared can’t stop from kissing him – wet, messy pecks on his cheek, temple, chin, neck, anything he can safely reach until Jensen parks the car. 

Once he puts the car in park, Jared flings his arms around Jensen and yanks him over the center console to hug him tightly, nearly taking out a rib in the process. “Thank you, thank you!” Jared shouts, his lips crashing down onto Jensen’s in an enthusiastic kiss. Jensen responds in kind, climbing fully over the console to pin Jared against the passenger seat as they kiss. 

“We gonna make out all day?” Jensen mumbles breathlessly against Jared’s lips. “Or are we gonna hit the fucking house of mouse?” 

“Let’s go!” Jared yells, nearly falling out of the car in his rush to get outside. Jared bounces around near the back of the car while Jensen gets their tickets out of the folder that holds all of the paperwork for their trip. He hides that, along with anything else that could get stolen, because happiest place on earth or not, Jensen is one paranoid motherfucker. 

Jensen meets him at the back of the car, one eyebrow raised and swollen lips tugged upwards in amusement. He hands Jared his printed out ticket and Jared’s eyes widen further as he reads. 

“Two day park hopper? _Two days_? Oh god.” He grabs Jensen’s hand, threading their fingers together as he all but drags him towards the front gate. “You’re so awesome. You’re so awesome that your awesomeness can’t be measured. Super awesome!” Jared shouts, earning a few curious glances from other patrons. 

“Okay!” Jensen calls, flushing red and chuckling nervously. Jared just grins at him, heart warming as Jensen smiles back, fond and private.

Disneyland is sort of everything Jensen despises all jammed into one location – sweltering heat, long lines, strangers trying to engage you in conversation, screaming kids, ridiculous prices, large crowds, people in stupid costumes, cramped spaces, the Mickey Mouse ears with the elastic band that your stupid boyfriend makes you wear. The list goes on and on.

All of those things separately make Jensen sort of want to punch someone in the eye, but when they are all rolled into one to create the magical kingdom known as Disneyland, he doesn’t mind them all that much. That, and he’d happily take a day of torture to keep that glowing smile plastered across Jared’s exuberant face. 

Day one of Disney is almost over, night falling over the park. Jensen’s feet ache and he feels a little sick from three trips on Space Mountain in a row. It doesn’t seem to have affected Jared in any way, because he’s busy downing a churro like his life depends on it. 

“It’s almost time for fireworks,” Jensen says, voice edged with excitement. The fireworks are Jensen’s favorite part. And the thought of finally sitting the fuck down is overwhelmingly appealing. “Find a seat?”

Jared nods and licks cinnamon sugar from his fingers as they make their way into the sea of people crowded in front of the castle. They find a spot near the fence and settle in, shoulders brushing as they sit down on the warm pavement. 

“Can I take the ears off yet?” Jensen whines, scratching at the sweat damp hair above his ear. Jared turns to look at him, his own ears slightly askew on top of his unruly mop of hair. 

“Have we left Disneyland yet?” Jared inquires, raising an eyebrow. Jensen sighs and drops his head. 

“No,” he replies solemnly. Jared grins, reaching up to flick one of Jensen’s plastic mouse ears. 

“Well, there’s your answer,” Jared says. Jensen glares at him with little heat. Jared pulls out his digital camera, a graduation present, and starts going through all the pictures taken that day. Jensen leans over to get a better look. “Oh yeah. These are priceless.”

Jensen smiles and leans against the fence again, shivering slightly at the chill in the air. He hadn’t brought a jacket, because carrying one around in the heat all day just to be warm for the few chilly hours of night isn’t worth it. Jared, on the other hand, is a human furnace. Jensen’s pretty sure you could drop him down in the middle of Siberia and he’d still be fine in a tee shirt and flip-flops.

Jared looks over at him, brows bunched in concern. “Cold?” He asks, and Jensen shrugs. “C’mere,” Jared says then, spreading his thighs and patting the ground between them. Jensen’s cheeks pinken but he gets up, positioning himself between Jared’s legs. Jared hands Jensen the camera and wraps his arms around Jensen’s waist, pulling him flush against his body. Jensen just grins and leans back, resting his head on Jared’s shoulder. Jared kisses his temple and holds him even tighter. 

They get a few odd looks from people around them, but Jensen doesn’t care. He just turns his head and catches Jared’s lips in a soft kiss.

And that’s when the fireworks start.

On the third day of their road trip, they oversleep. Two sixteen-hour days of Disneyland took their toll on both of them. The pedometer on Jensen’s phone says they walked over twenty miles, and when he gets out of bed his feet throb in protest.

He starts throwing all their shit in a bag, getting dressed at warp speed because if they don’t check out in the next twenty-three minutes they’re going to get charged for another night. 

“Jared!” He calls, but the drooling lump that is his boyfriend merely lets out a soft snore and burrows deeper into the blankets. “Wake the fuck up!”

He runs into the bathroom to collect their toiletries, forever grateful that he showered the night before. He grabs his shoes from the corner of the bathroom and puts one on as he hops into the main room. Jared is still asleep. 

“ _Jared_!” He calls again, throwing his other shoe at him. It hits the lump in the middle of the bed and a surprised cry escapes the blankets.

“What?” Jared cries, voice deep and rough enough to make heat spark in Jensen’s belly. But if Jensen doesn’t even have time to brush his fucking teeth, they definitely don’t have time for _that_. He wonders what it would take to warm Jared up to the idea of road head. 

Probably not much.

“We have like, fifteen minutes to check out,” Jensen shrieks, throwing Jared’s clothes at him and grabbing his shoe back. “Get up!”

“Fine!” Jared calls, rolling out of bed and standing up. “Ow,” he moans once he puts all his weight on his feet. He doesn’t have much to do except get dressed because Jensen already has their bags stacked by the door.

“You put these in the car,” Jensen says, tossing the keys at Jared, who just blinks blearily as they sail past him and hit the wall. Jensen just rolls his eyes and opens the door. “I’m going to check out.”

There’s a Starbucks across the street from the hotel lobby and Jensen jogs over for a much-needed fix after checking out, hoping that Jared actually managed to drag his ass out of the room.

The first official, non-surprise stop of their trip is a tiny town on the coast called Cayucos. Jensen found it while researching possible destinations. What caught his eye was how much of a destination it _isn’t_. Cayucos is nestled between Morro Bay and Pismo Beach, and tourists seem to prefer those bustling towns to the quiet peace and harmony of Cayucos.

This trip is really important to Jensen. Not only is it for Jared’s eighteenth birthday, its sort of their last hoorah before college. He just wants some time alone with Jared before they’re caught up in the whirlwind that is sure to be their freshman year. 

They drive in near silence, tired and lazy after such a hectic jumpstart to their vacation. They stop for a late lunch in Ventura, dining on awesome burgers at a small restaurant on the pier.

Their first stop in Cayucos is a tiny vacation rental office tucked between a coffee shop and a used bookstore to pick up the keys for the condo they’re renting out. Cost wise, it wasn’t much more than a room at one of the tiny inns in town, and Jensen liked the idea of staying in a house with Jared, if only for three nights. 

The condo is literally on the beach, waves crashing onto the shore less than a hundred yards from the back door. The place is tiny, the door opening to a hallway and a staircase. Upstairs is the living room, and almost the entire wall facing the ocean is made of glass. It opens to a large balcony, equipped with patio furniture and a barbeque. Jensen drops his bag and goes out onto it immediately. 

“Shit, Jay,” he breathes, taking in the breathtaking view. “Look at this.”

Jared follows him out onto the balcony, whistling at the view. The sandy beach seems to stretch on for miles, cliffs silhouetted in the distance. People dot the shore, soaking up the sun or dragging surfboards into the water. Jensen closes his eyes and takes a long, deep breath of the crisp ocean air.

“You approve?” Jensen asks, turning to face Jared. He tears his gaze away from the ocean to look at Jensen, a smile splitting his face.

“I definitely approve,” he replies. “This place is amazing, Jensen.”

“Yeah,” Jensen agrees, smiling as Jared slings an arm over his shoulders. He doesn’t have much planned for this stop. It just seemed like a nice place to stop and relax, to take a breath and have some time to themselves. 

That is what Jensen is most looking forward to on this trip – having Jared all to himself. At home there is always someone interrupting them, whether it be a parent, brother, or friend. Jared’s popularity follows them like a shadow. Someone is always demanding his time, wanting to see him again before heading off to college.

“What do you want to do?” Jensen asks, hooking his arm around Jared’s waist. “We could go exploring.”

“Exploring,” Jared says thoughtfully, sliding his hand down to rest at the small of Jensen’s back. “Can we start with the bedroom?” 

“Fuck yes,” Jensen grins, grabbing Jared’s hand and pulling him inside.

A king sized bed takes up most of the bedroom, and Jensen nearly sinks into the soft down comforter when Jared presses him into it. Jensen grins against Jared’s lips, hissing when Jared pushes his legs apart and lets himself fall between them, grinding against his hips. The pace they set is a lazy one, slow and warm as the hot summer sun filters in through the large bay windows. 

There’s no need to hurry. They have all the time in the world.

After a languorous sixty-nine session and a fuck that leaves Jensen trembling long after it’s over, they share a shower and set out to explore. They decide to tackle the row of shops on the waterfront first, making a note of all the places where they want to stop the next day.

Eventually they make their way to the beach, slipping out of their shoes. Jensen digs his toes into the squishy wet sand, watching fondly as Jared plays with a stray dog. He throws a piece of driftwood over and over, delighted as the dog continues to bring it back. Jared has always wanted a dog, but Megan is allergic so he was never allowed. 

When they get their first place, Jensen thinks, he’s getting Jared a puppy.

Eventually the dog runs off and they make their way down the pier, leaning against the railing at the end and watching as the sun sets. The sight of the deep orange sun dipping below the waves is beautiful, streaking the sky with pink and purple. 

The sunset makes Jensen feel maudlin and sentimental. He reaches out for Jared’s hand, but his fingers hit nothing but air. Jensen has no idea how long he was spacing out, staring at the darkening sky, because Jared isn’t next to him anymore. After a quick scan of the pier, he spots him a few yards away, talking animatedly with two girls. Jensen quirks an eyebrow and pushes away from the railing. 

He walks over to stand next to Jared, who gives him a quick nod and finishes a sentence about their condo. 

“This is Savannah and Lucy,” Jared says, gesturing towards the girls. “And this is Jensen.” 

Jensen smiles a little at them, and he waits for there to be more to the introduction. A title, maybe. But nothing comes. Jensen sucks his bottom lip into his mouth and wonders why this bothers him.

“Hi!” Lucy says sweetly, smiling at him. Savannah gives him a little wave. 

“Are you guys doing anything later?” Savannah asks, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Jensen notices they all have their phones out, like they exchanged numbers. 

“Dinner, I think,” Jared says, and Jensen gives a jerky nod. The girls look at them expectantly, as if waiting for an invitation. When one doesn’t come, they just smile and shrug their shoulders a little. They look a little alike, except Savannah has long, flowing dark hair and Lucy is blonde, hair falling over her shoulders in billowy waves. 

“Well, there is going to be this kickass party on the beach tonight,” Lucy says, pointing in the opposite direction of their condo. “Maybe you guys could come?” 

“Yeah, maybe,” Jared says, and Jensen slowly turns to look at him, mouth a little agape. “I’ll let you know.” 

“Great!” She replies, linking her arm with Savannah’s. “We’ve gotta go get ready. So, call us! Bye guys!” 

“Bye,” Jared responds, and Jensen just nods again. The girls probably think he’s retarded. Jared watches them walk off and then turns to Jensen, grinning wide. His expression falters when he looks at Jensen. “What?’

“What was that?” Jensen asks, and Jared raises an eyebrow.

“They’re locals,” Jared replies, flicking his hair out of his eyes. “Figured they’d know what to do around here.”

“I wasn’t aware we were here to make friends,” Jensen says, hoping his tone comes off as casual. Jared rolls his eyes. 

“That’s because you hate people,” Jared replies, reaching out to punch Jensen’s shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with making friends. Now come on. I’m fucking starving.”

Jared turns his back on the picturesque sunset and Jensen spares it one last glance, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they make their way up the pier. Jensen wants to feel his hand enveloped in Jared’s, but for some reason he doesn’t close the distance between them. 

By the time they make it back to their shoes, the sun has dipped completely under the horizon.

There are only a few restaurants within walking distance of the condo, and they decide on a cozy looking Italian place. It’s fancy and nice inside, but the other patrons are similarly dressed in tee shirts and shorts so Jensen doesn’t feel out of place.

Their waitress leads them to a table in the middle of the room, rather than one of the intimate booths along the back wall. They both turn to look at the booths, shoulders brushing. 

“I could give you a booth,” she says carefully. “If you’d like?”

“Here’s fine,” Jared shrugs, and flings himself into a chair. Jensen sits down across from him, picking up a fork and twirling it. He’s feeling fidgety. Jared reads the girl’s nametag and gives her a heartbreaking smile, flicking his hair out of his eyes. 

“Hey Angela,” he says to her, nodding in thanks as he takes his menu. “Tell me, what’s your specialty?” She colors a little, ducking her head and smiling. Fucking great. Jared’s gone and gotten himself another fan. Jensen buries his face in his menu to hide his scowl.

“Um,” she starts, clearing her throat a little. “We have a really amazing Chicken Florentine.”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll have that,” Jared says, not even opening his menu. Jensen scans over his menu quickly, trying to pick out something that looks edible in the three seconds Jared gave him to decide. 

“Shrimp Alfredo,” Jensen says, giving Angela a tight smile as he hands over his menu.

They don’t really talk about anything important during dinner, just rehashing Disneyland and Chris and Steve’s party last weekend. Anytime Jared’s water glass dips below half full, Angela is there, giggling and flipping her hair. Jared flirts right back with her, and Jensen sucks his lips into his mouth. 

Fine, Jared’s flirting _does_ bother him. He’s never said anything because it’s not a big deal, not in the long run. Jared is with _him_ , not the Starbucks barista and not their waitress, but him. 

But he can’t take it much longer.

Jensen can feel his irritation boiling deep in the pit of his stomach, quickly turning into anger. He takes a deep breath and does his best to stamp it down. 

When it’s time for the bill, Angela hands it to Jared with a shy smile before turning to walk away. When Jared opens it, he lets out a soft bark of laughter and sets it down to retrieve his wallet out of his back pocket.

“What?” Jensen snaps, irritation coloring his tone. Jared doesn’t seem to notice. 

“She wrote down her number,” Jared chuckles, slipping his check card into the billfold. “Anyway, did you want to call the girls and see about that party?” 

Jensen feels his mouth fall open in disbelief. They’re on a vacation, on a fucking _date_ for all intents and purposes, and Jared has spent the whole time flirting unabashedly with their waitress and planning parties with pretty girls in bikinis. 

Jensen knows what kind of person Jared is. He’s the most social guy on the planet, and a total flirt. It’s not like he expected Jared to change when they started dating. Hell, he doesn’t _want_ Jared to change. But flirting with cute girls on the trip his _boyfriend_ fucking spent months planning for his birthday while he sits _right there_ is crossing the line. Jensen is pissed, angry in a way he never gets with Jared, and he bites down hard on his lip.

“What’s wrong?” Jared asks, leaning towards him slightly. Jensen looks away, staring intently at the light fixture on the wall.

“Nothing,” Jensen says, too casual. Jared raises his eyebrows and then knits them together, concerned.

“Bullshit,” Jared says. “I know you. What’s going on?” 

“ _Nothing_ ,” Jensen says again, but he’s caught in the lie. It’s impossible to hide anything from Jared. When Angela drops off the billfold, Jared barely glances as her. As soon as he takes his card and signs the receipt, Jensen stands up and heads for the door with Jared quick on his heels.

“Okay, seriously,” Jared says after a few tense and extremely awkward moments of silence as they walk the half a block back to the condo. “What’s going on?”

“Not a thing,” Jensen says as he hops up onto the porch and unlocks the door. He immediately goes upstairs to the living room. He doesn’t even want to _look_ at Jared right now, he’s so angry. He tries to tell himself that fury is the only emotion he’s feeling, but the stinging behind his eyes tells him otherwise. 

“Will you _please_ tell me?” Jared wheedles, and Jensen takes a deep breath. Counts backwards from ten. It doesn’t work. He whirls on Jared, and his eyes widen when he sees the expression on Jensen’s face.

“What am I to you, Jared?” Jensen asks suddenly, a hardened glare on his face. Jared lets out a tiny surprised noise and tilts his head to the side for a moment, brows knit together. 

“You’re my best friend,” Jared replies slowly. Jensen lets out a bitter laugh and Jared scowls. “What?” 

“Sometimes I don’t want to be your best friend,” Jensen says, fighting to keep his voice steady. “Sometimes I want to be your _boyfriend_.” 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jared demands, throwing his arms out to the side. “You _are_ my boyfriend.”

“Then _act_ like it!” Jensen shouts. “I spent _months_ planning this trip for your fucking birthday. You can mock me all you want but this trip was supposed to be for _us_. It was supposed to be, I don’t know, romantic! Sometimes I want that from you, Jared, and I don’t feel like I’m getting it.”

“What do you want from me, Jen?” Jared asks, his eyes suddenly flashing dark and angry. “Want me to pick you some pretty flowers, bring you chocolates, what?”

“Fuck you, Jared. Don’t be an asshole,” Jensen grits out, cheeks flushing red. “We’ve been here for four hours and you’ve gotten three different girls’ phone numbers. One during what could have been called a date. And not once did it fucking occur to you to maybe go ‘oh hey, by the way, this is my _boyfriend_ ’? You didn’t even think to let these girls know that you were taken, not even when I was fucking sitting there. So yeah, I’m a little pissed off.”

“You’re _jealous_?” Jared asks incredulously. Jensen lets out a scoff and looks away. “Look, I don’t know what you _want_ from me, Jensen!” 

“I want you to act like we’re in a relationship even when you _don’t_ have your dick in my ass, for starters!” As soon as he says it, Jensen wishes he could take it back. Especially when Jared recoils like he’s been slapped, eyes going wide and glassy. Jensen blinks back against the sudden swell of tears in his eyes, heart clenching when he takes a step forward and Jared takes one back. 

Jared opens his mouth to say something but snaps it shut. He clenches his jaw when his bottom lip starts to tremble and Jensen feels like he’s been kicked in the gut. Jared gives him one last look and turns, heading down the stairs without another word.

The slam of the front door is inexplicably loud and Jensen jumps at the sound of it.

Why the fuck did he _say_ that? Never once has Jared treated him like that. Jensen presses his palms into his eye sockets and shakes his head, moving towards the stairs to follow Jared. Halfway down, the door opens again and Jared storms back in, his expression a heartbreaking mixture of anger and pain.

“Fuck this,” he says, his gaze landing hard on Jensen. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing this _now_.”

He storms back up the stairs and Jensen nearly trips as he tries to go up them backwards. Once they’re both on the landing their eyes lock, Jared’s reflecting the anguish Jensen is feeling.

“Is that what you think?” Jared asks, wincing when his voice cracks. “That I’m in this for the sex?”

“ _No_ ,” Jensen says insistently, sucking in a deep breath. “Jared, I – shit. I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean it.”

“So is this how it’s going to be?” Jared asks, cheeks flushed red. “You’re just going to ignore something that’s bothering you until you blow the fuck up at me and say shit you don’t mean?” Jensen opens his mouth to answer but Jared cuts him off. “Because that’s not how it fucking works, Jensen. We’re supposed to _talk_ to each other.”

“I know!” Jensen shouts back, his eyes burning. “I just get so sick of watching you flirt with everything that fucking moves! How the fuck is that supposed to make me feel?”

Jared stares at him for a moment, lips rolled into his mouth as he breathes deeply through his nose.

“Look,” Jared starts, his voice still startlingly loud. He runs his hand through his messy hair and looks Jensen right in the eye. “I don’t know what you want me to do with this insecure bullshit, Jensen. I started liking dick for you. I came out to my family for you. I don’t know what the fuck else to do to prove to you how fucking _serious_ I am about us.” Jared pauses, his eyes rimmed red. His voice goes from angry and loud to desperate and broken. “I’m really fucking tired of you thinking I’m going to run off with the first girl that looks my way. I don’t want anybody else but you and I wish you would just fucking _get_ that.”

Jensen squeezes his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears threatening to slip from his eyes. He stumbles backwards and sits down on the sofa, looking up at Jared.

“I know, Jared,” he says, defeated. “I _do_ know. I’m sorry.” He can’t handle looking at Jared so he looks to the side, towards the balcony, and bites his lip. “I’m sorry,” he says again, quieter. 

Jared sighs, scrubbing his hand over his face before he goes to stand in front of Jensen. He refuses to look at Jared. His bottom lip is trembling and he’s scared and he’s embarrassed for acting like such an idiot. His breath hitches as Jared places his hand on Jensen’s cheek, thumb stroking across his cheekbone.

“Jen,” Jared says softly, and Jensen forces himself to look at him. He no longer looks angry, just tired. “I’m sorry, too. I was being sort of a douche.”

“I overreacted,” Jensen counters, resisting the urge to reach up and place his hand over Jared’s. “I should have talked to you sooner, figured out a better way to say what I wanted to say.”

Jared drops his hand and moves forward to straddle Jensen’s lap, pressing his knees into the sofa on either side of Jensen’s thighs and sitting down. He grips the back of the sofa on either side of Jensen’s head, effectively caging him in. Thing is, he’s never felt more safe. 

Jensen sucks in a deep breath and looks up at Jared’s face. Jared leans in, pressing his lips to Jensen’s forehead in a soft kiss. Jensen locks his fingers together at the base of Jared’s spine and they stay like that for a moment, silent except for the sounds of their breathing. 

“I shouldn’t flirt like I do,” Jared says carefully, pulling back to look Jensen in the eye. “But most of the time, I don’t realize I’m doing it.” Jensen nods. He knows this. “You’ve got to understand something, Jensen. You’ve been my best friend for eighteen years. Everything else is still so new. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like anything has changed between us. You’re still my best friend. But then I get you alone, and you’ll look over at me and be so fucking gorgeous. And that’s when it hits me. You’re _mine_.”

“Yours,” Jensen responds immediately, swallowing thickly. Jared takes one of Jensen’s hands in his, threading their fingers together and squeezing. He leans forward to press his lips to Jensen’s temple.

“You know I love you, right?” Jared asks, a breathy whisper in Jensen’s ear. “More than anything.”

“I know,” Jensen replies, nodding frantically against Jared’s jaw. Tears prickle behind his eyes and he squeezes them shut. “I love you, too.”

They’re quiet for a moment, and Jared brings his free hand up to card through Jensen’s hair.

“It’s just so easy to remember how it felt,” Jensen says, rushed and quiet. “When I was in love with you and I thought I could never have you. It just _hurt_ , Jay.”

“But you’ve got me now,” Jared says, his lips skimming Jensen’s temple as he pulls away. “I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner,” he says, not for the first time. 

“I was scared,” Jensen replies, and Jared just makes a humming sound in the back of his throat. He presses another kiss to Jensen’s temple. 

“You still should have,” Jared continues, his breath hot against Jensen’s ear. “Because I think we’ve always been in love with each other. This was inevitable. We belong together, Jen.”

Jensen pulls back, reaching up to cup Jared’s cheek. He swipes his thumb across Jared’s lips and smiles. He pulls his thumb out of the way and presses his lips to Jared’s in a soft kiss. Jared responds in kind, digging his knees deeper into the sofa and wrapping his arms tight around Jensen’s neck. He coaxes Jensen’s mouth open with his tongue, licking his way inside. Jensen lets out a low moan and buries his hands in Jared’s shaggy hair. 

It’s not long before they’re making out, hot and heated, dicks hardening as they rock together. Jensen tugs Jared’s head back by his hair, making him gasp as he sinks his teeth into the soft tendon of his neck and licks over the sting. He pulls on the collar of Jared’s shirt, stretching it as he licks and sucks at his collarbone. 

Jared lets out a soft growl and grips the back of Jensen’s neck, fingernails digging in as he slides off of the couch and pulls Jensen with him. Jensen crawls on top of him once they’re laid out on the floor, pulling Jared’s shirt up and off. Miles of tan skin bared for him, and he has no idea where to start. 

He leans over Jared, hips undulating against Jared’s thigh as he licks his way across Jared’s chest, stopping to tongue at his nipple, bite down on it. Jared hisses and arches up when Jensen sucks the hard nub into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth as he gets Jared’s pants open. 

Jared moans and flips them over, pinning Jensen to the floor with a giant hand on his chest as he kicks off his pants. Jensen arches up, spine curving as Jared leans down to mouth at his stomach. Red marks litter Jensen’s skin and Jared pulls his shirt up and pushes his pants down, leaving Jensen half naked and tangled in his own clothes. 

“Jared,” Jensen pants, flinging his clothes across the room. “Fuck me, Jared. _Please_.”

The room is dark except for the light of the full moon filtering in through the open balcony doors. The cool sea air makes Jensen shiver even with Jared’s body on top of him. Jensen wraps his legs tight around Jared’s waist, rolling his hips upward as he surges up to kiss at Jared’s swollen mouth. 

“Need you in me,” he breathes, punctuating the statement with a bite to Jared’s bottom lip. Jared pulls away and Jensen lets his head fall to the floor with a thud, hips jerking and chest heaving with every breath. He’s so hard he’s aching, desperate with the need to be filled. 

Jared paws through the jeans he was wearing earlier and extracts a small tube of lube. Jensen spreads his legs wide, planting his feet on the floor and tilting his hips up invitingly. Jared lets out a soft groan and coats his fingers with lube, not giving Jensen any warning before he slides one all the way in. Jensen keens, pushing back against Jared’s finger. His head feels too heavy to lift, but he manages it. Jared is watching him intently, biting down on his bottom lip as he sides in a second finger. Jensen barely notices the pinch, too busy moaning as Jared rubs insistently at his prostate. “Now, Jared, c’mon.”

“Shit. Condom,” Jared breathes, sliding a sticky hand up Jensen’s inner thigh after he pulls his fingers out. He moves to get up, and Jensen isn’t having any of it. Jensen reaches up to grab the back of Jared’s neck, arching up to kiss his lips. 

“Don’t need one,” Jensen pants, looking into Jared’s eyes. “Don’t _want_ one. I wanna feel you.”

Jared’s eyes grow even darker, if possible. A faint sheen of sweat glows on his tan skin, and Jensen runs his free hand up Jared’s arm as he remains propped up over him. Jared finally nods, smiling and pressing a long kiss against Jensen’s plush lips. 

“Yeah, okay,” he says shakily, reaching down to coat his bare dick with lube. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Jensen wraps his legs tight around Jared’s slim waist, ankles crossed just above his ass. One hand stays tangled in Jared’s hair, and their eyes stay locked as Jared positions himself and pushes in. It hurts, not enough prep, and Jensen clenches his free hand in the carpet. But it passes quickly and then he can _feel_ Jared, hot and sleek and bare inside of him. He can feel every ridge and contour of Jared’s cock, can feel the intense heat of it. It’s almost too powerful, enough to cause a telltale tingling behind his eyes but he doesn’t look away from Jared. He couldn’t even if he tried. 

“Jen,” Jared gasps, and Jensen moves his hand from Jared’s hair to his face, fingertips trembling as he strokes them across Jared’s cheek. He looks almost awed, his expression so reverent that Jensen blushes, even with Jared buried deep inside of him. “You’re so fucking perfect, Jen.”

Jared grins, so wide and happy that Jensen’s heart pounds even harder. He’s so in love that it’s fucking ridiculous and he doesn’t think this moment could get any better, but then Jared _moves_ and stars explode behind his eyelids. 

Jensen lets out a long groan, squeezing his eyes shut as Jared finds a rhythm. He pulls almost all of the way out, letting the flared head of his cock stretch the rim of Jensen’s ass before he pushes back in hard, slow and powerful. 

Jared moves his hand from Jensen’s hip and grabs Jensen’s wrist, pinning his hand against the floor above Jensen’s head and tangling their fingers together. His other hand grips the back of Jensen’s neck, fingertips digging in as he presses their foreheads together. They’re so close that Jensen’s eyes cross trying to watch him but he doesn’t dare close them. He makes tiny hiccupping noises in the back of his throat; eyes burning as Jared kisses him so soft and eager, whispering praise as his hips snap forward. 

Jensen feels overwhelmed. Jared is filling him up, covering him, pinning him down – and he never wants it to stop. He never thought he could feel like this, alive and vibrant and _whole_ , so happy he can barely contain it. 

Jared lets out a noise that sounds like a sob and buries his face in Jensen’s neck, kissing under his jaw. He wraps his hand around Jensen’s dick, stroking him in time with their thrusts. Jensen cries out and arches up, trembling as Jared’s fingers squeeze tighter on the back of his neck. 

It’s like every nerve in his body is strung taut and the pleasure dances on the edge of becoming too much. It licks up his spine like a flame, and when Jared bites down on his neck and squeezes his fingers, Jensen lets out a loud cry as his orgasm hits. His whole body shakes with it, vision whitening as he streaks his belly with come. 

Jensen forces his eyes open, pulling his hand out of Jared’s and putting both hands on Jared’s neck, thumbs skimming across his jaw. Jensen watches him, breathing shakily as aftershocks make his hips jerk. Jared grabs Jensen’s hips, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise as he tenses, pressing his forehead against Jensen’s as he comes. 

Jensen gasps at the feeling of Jared’s dick emptying inside of him, filling him up. His thighs are trembling as Jared collapses on top him, and he wraps his arms around Jared as he sucks in huge gulps of air. 

They’re quiet for awhile, Jensen stroking his hands over Jared’s sweaty back in undistinguishable patterns. Jared brings a hand up to rest on Jensen’s forehead, pinky lying across his brow and thumb stroking his temple. Jared hums softly, pressing a sloppy kiss to Jensen’s neck as he pulls out slowly. Jensen lets out a soft whimper at the loss, fingertips digging into Jared’s tan skin. 

The mess between them is bordering on uncomfortable, come cooling into a sticky mess between Jensen’s legs and their bodies, but Jensen relishes in it. Jared lifts his head to look at Jensen, a sleepy smile on his face. 

“That was _awesome_ ,” he says, and Jensen chuckles softly, reaching up to push Jared’s hair off of his forehead. 

“I think I have rug burn,” Jensen replies, shifting his shoulders and wrinkling his nose. 

“You’ll get over it,” Jared yawns, rolling off Jensen so they are lying shoulder to shoulder. He rubs at the drying come on his belly. “We should take a shower.”

“Fuck that,” Jensen replies, shifting his hips. “Too tired. You’re going to have to carry me to bed.”

“Carry your own fat ass to bed,” Jared teases. He leans over to press a quick kiss to Jensen’s shoulder and gets up. Jensen groans and slowly pulls himself up off of the floor. They walk down the stairs in silence, and Jensen collapses on top of the downy covers, already half asleep. He can hear Jared puttering around the bathroom and he starts a little when a warm, wet cloth touches his thighs. He rolls over, smiling fondly up at Jared as he cleans him up. Once he’s done, he tosses the washcloth in the general vicinity of the bathroom and crawls into bed, gathering Jensen up in his arms. 

“Make up sex is exhausting,” he says, nuzzling the soft skin behind Jensen’s ear as he presses his knees into the backs of Jensen’s. 

“Well, now we know,” Jensen sighs, pressing himself back against Jared, eyes slipping shut. “Why am I always the little spoon?”

“’Cause you’re the girl,” Jared mumbles, his breath hot on the back of Jensen’s neck. “Now go to sleep.” Jensen rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. It feels too good having Jared wrapped all around him.

“Love you,” Jensen murmurs, because he feels like he should say it again after the night they’ve had. 

“Love you too, dorkface,” Jared replies. “ _Sleep_.”

And then, Jensen does.

Their second day in Cayucos is going much better than the first. They slept until noon, and Jared only woke up because Jensen teased him hard with his tongue and then sunk down on his bare cock before he was even fully coherent.

There are worse ways to wake up. 

They’re lounging on the beach, all spread out on towels. Jared tries not to look directly at Jensen, lest the urge to tackle him into the sand becomes irresistible. He’s got himself propped up on his elbows, head tipped back and neck exposed to the sun. His dark green board shorts hang low enough on his freckled hips that Jared can clearly see the finger-shaped bruises that he left the night before. He’s got a hickey on his collarbone and a bite mark on his neck. He looks completely debauched and Jared is proud to say it’s all because of him. 

He’s on freckle watch, because Jensen is a whiny bitch when he’s sunburned and Jared would really like to get laid again on this vacation. Especially now that they apparently aren’t using condoms anymore, and really, there aren’t even words to describe how that makes Jared feel. 

“You’re getting pink,” Jared says, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. Jensen lifts his head, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. He sits up and turns his back to Jared, and Jared picks up the sunblock and rubs some between his hands. He presses a kiss to the spur of Jensen’s shoulder, skin soft and warm, and then rubs the cream onto his shoulders and all over his back. He fits his fingers onto the bruises, digging in just enough to make Jensen hiss. He smirks, and rubs his hands on his towel before handing the sunblock over. Jensen rubs more onto his chest, stomach, and arms before dropping back onto the towel in a lazy lump. 

Jared hears someone shout his name, which is pretty surprising considering they’re in a secluded town hundreds of miles from home. He lifts his head, squinting against the sun in the general direction of the voice. Savannah and Lucy approach them, and it takes Jared a few seconds to even recognize them. Yesterday they had been in tiny shorts and bikini tops, hair and make-up perfect even in the salty breeze. Today they’re both in wetsuits; faces scrubbed clean and wet hair tumbling in tangled waves down their backs. They’re each carrying a surfboard, smiling wide. They look better this way, more natural.

Jared instinctively raises a hand in greeting, and then stiffens. He cautions a glance over at Jensen. His eyebrow is raised over the rim of his sunglasses, but he doesn’t seem to look annoyed. 

“Hey girls,” Jared says brightly, beaming up at the girls. “You guys remember my boyfriend Jensen?” 

Jared sneaks a glance over at Jensen. His cheeks are pink, but that could be from the sun.

“Hey,” Jensen says, giving them a cordial smile. 

“Of course,” Savannah says. “It was so sweet of you to plan this trip for Jared’s birthday. You two are adorable, seriously. I hope you’re having fun.”

Jared winces at that. He had barely been able to stop himself from throwing that in Jensen’s face during their fight. Jared _had_ told the girls he was taken, and rambled on about his awesome boyfriend right up until the moment said boyfriend walked over. 

If Jensen had started paying attention even a minute earlier, the entire fight might have been averted. Maybe it’s good that it happened. Their first fight is over and done with, and they’re stronger because of it. He had never felt closer to Jensen than he had last night.

“We’re having a great time,” Jensen says, but his brow is furrowed and he’s gnawing on his bottom lip, which is a sure sign he’s feeling guilty. Jared knocks his knee against Jensen’s and gives him a small smile, shrugging one shoulder. 

“Looks like it,” Lucy chuckles, gesturing to the purple love bites on Jared’s chest. Jared just grins and winks at her. “We missed you at the party last night.”

“Uh, yeah,” Jared replies. “Something came up.”

“I bet,” Savannah says, smirking. “Well, it’s raging on tonight, if you wanna stop by.” 

“Maybe,” Jared says noncommittally. The girls smile and hike their boards up on their hips.

“We’ve got some waves to catch,” Lucy says, grinning broadly. The girls wave and turn to leave. Jared turns his head to look at Jensen but the other boy is getting up, muscles bunching under greasy tan skin smattered with freckles. Jared is momentarily transfixed. 

“Hey Lucy? Savannah?” Jensen asks tentatively, and the girls turn to look at him with slightly surprised expressions on their faces. Justifiable, considering Jensen has pretty much been exclusively monosyllabic with them until recently. 

“What’s up, Jensen?” Lucy asks, perky and sweet, and Jensen bites his lip. He looks at Jared and back to the girls, gesturing towards their boards.

“Do you think you could, uh, possibly teach me and Jared how to use those things?” Jared looks up at Jensen, grinning wide. Lucy and Savannah’s eyes widen like they’ve just won the lottery.

“You want to learn how to surf?” Savannah asks, and Lucy bounces up and down. “Sure thing, boys. Let’s hit the rental shop.”

Jared gets up and grabs their stuff, shaking sand out of the towels as they follow the girls towards the street. Jared bumps his shoulder against Jensen, eyebrow raised in question. Jensen colors slightly and shrugs, grabbing Jared’s hands. 

“There’s nothing wrong with making friends,” Jensen says, repeating Jared’s words from yesterday back at him. Jared’s heart beats a little harder and he smiles, because Jensen is beyond perfect. They’re both trying. It’s not something that can be fixed over night, Jensen’s insecurity or Jared’s flirting, but it’s a start. 

Jared leans in to press a soft kiss to Jensen’s lips, inhaling the scent of salt and coconut sunscreen. 

“Hurry up, boys!” Lucy calls from the sidewalk. “We wanna see those cute little asses in wetsuits!”

Jared chuckles against Jensen’s lips, tangling their fingers together as they follow Savannah and Lucy.

Hours later, Jared collapses on the shore, exhausted and happy. His bright pink rented surfboard is at his side. Jensen falls onto the sand next to him, cheeks flushed with exertion, lips upturned in a genuine grin.

Lucy and Savannah are actually very knowledgeable and patient surfing instructors, even managing to get someone as clumsy as Jared to stand up on the board a time or two. But now, the waves have calmed to little more than gentle laps at the shore and their muscles ache. 

“You done good, kids,” Lucy says cheekily, leaning over them and letting cold seawater drip on them from her hair. “See you tonight?” 

“Maybe,” Jared pants, getting up off of the ground and giving each girl a brief hug. Jensen does the same, even smiling when Lucy plants a kiss on his cheek. 

“Later boys!” Savannah calls out, and then they leave, surfboards under their arms. Jared looks back towards Jensen, stepping forward and placing his hands on Jensen’s wetsuit covered chest. 

“Did you have fun?” Jared asks, reaching behind Jensen and unzipping the suit. Jensen pulls his arms out and lets the top of the suit fall around his waist. His skin is pink from the cold, and Jared turns around so Jensen can get his zipper. 

“I really did, actually,” Jensen replies, carefully moving Jared’s hair out of the way as he pulls the zipper down. “I guess there are times not being an antisocial douchebag pays off.”

“Hey,” Jared retorts, slipping his arms out of the suit and turning around. He slips his arms around Jensen’s neck, bringing their cold chests together and burying his fingers in Jensen’s wet hair, not caring if anyone sees. “I fell in love with an antisocial douchebag. Don’t go changing.”

Jensen laughs, bright and happy, and it’s a beautiful sound. They share a quick kiss and then they grab the boards and head back towards the rental office. 

Later, Jared takes a shower while Jensen shoves their dirty clothes in the washer, and then Jensen hops in the shower while Jared checks his e-mail. His muscles ache in a good way, and he rolls his shoulders. 

Jensen comes out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, one towel wrapped haphazardly around his waist as he scrubs at his hair with another. Jared’s phone chirps at that moment, distracting him from the wicked glint of the water on Jensen’s bare torso. He slides his phone open, sees he has a new message from Lucy and opens it. 

_u coming?_

“Did you want to check out the bonfire?” Jensen asks at that moment, like he’s psychic. He got an amazing tan, skin dark but not dark enough to hide his freckles. The towel dips low enough that Jared can see his tan line, the place where his skin goes from golden to milky. He wants to trace the line with his tongue. That’s when he makes a snap decision. 

_yeah, but not to the bonfire. ;) text u later._

“Come here,” Jared commands, voice deep and husky. He sits on the edge of the bed, licking his lips in anticipation as Jensen walks over to him with a slightly confused look. 

“What are – oh.” He trails off, eyes going dark as Jared grabs his hips and tugs him forward until he is standing between Jared’s legs. Jared is eye level with Jensen’s navel, and he grabs the edges of the towel. He doesn’t pull it away, not yet, instead holds onto it as he leans in to kiss and lick at Jensen’s belly, bite at his hipbones, mouth at the tan line. Jensen’s breath comes faster, legs spreading of their own accord as he buries his fingers in Jared’s shower damp hair.

Jared slides one hand under the towel, letting his fingertips ghost along Jensen’s inner thigh, making him tremble. He pulls the towel away with one hand and cups Jensen’s balls in the other, rolling them in his palm as he buries his nose in the soft curls at the base of Jensen’s cock. Jensen lets out a little staccato moan, hips jerking almost imperceptibly as his hard cock brushes Jared’s cheek, smearing pre-come across his skin. 

Jared grins against Jensen’s belly, fingertip pressing at the smooth spot behind his balls. He fucking loves how little it takes to get Jensen hard and ready for him. He gets so desperate, so _needy_ , and Jared feeds off it, always eager to give Jensen exactly what he craves. 

Jared knows he’s teasing, little kitten licks at the line where taut skin meets coarse hair, and Jensen rocks up on the balls of his feet, trying to get Jared where he wants him. Jared doesn’t comply, instead biting down softly just to hear Jensen gasp. 

Jensen places his hand on Jared’s cheek, the other still tangled in his hair. His thumb drags roughly across Jared’s mouth, tip catching on Jared’s bottom lip and pulling his mouth open. He pulls Jared’s head back by his hair and moves his hand away from Jared’s mouth to his dick, grasping it and painting Jared’s lips with the slick tip. Jared pants, opens his mouth wider and Jensen slides in without warning, hand cupping the back of Jared’s head to keep him in place as Jensen presses his cock against the back of Jared’s throat. 

He gags a little and drool slips down his chin, but Jensen doesn’t ease up. Jared flicks his eyes upwards, locking on Jensen’s. Jensen pushes a little further down Jared’s throat, palms Jared’s cheek and presses his thumb in to feel himself there. 

Jared’s chest aches with the need to breathe, and he can feel spit run down his chin, down Jensen’s cock to his hand where he’s still cupping his balls. Jared releases them and grips Jensen’s hips, nails digging in and creating scratches on top of the bruises left the night before. Jensen keeps his grip on the back of Jared’s head, not allowing him to pull away. 

He swallows reflexively and Jensen pushes further until he’s all the way in, Jared’s nose buried in his pubes, and Jared can’t breathe but he doesn’t care because it’s so fucking good. Jensen slides his hand down to Jared’s neck, wrapping his fingers around it and squeezing slightly. Just as colors start to burst in front of Jared’s eyes and his chest aches for the air he’s not getting, Jensen pulls out, letting his cock slip from Jared’s mouth with an obscene pop. 

Jared is silent for a half a second, and then he lets out a loud gasp as air fills his lungs again. He looks up at Jensen, eyes wide as he takes desperate gulps of air. Jensen looks slightly shocked, as if he’s surprised by what just happened. Just when he looks like he is about to say something, to apologize, Jared pulls him forward roughly and sucks his cock back into his mouth, making a moan spill from Jensen’s lips instead.

He sucks eagerly, sloppily; spit coating his chin and his hand where he has it wrapped around the base of Jensen’s cock.   
Jared pulls back again, a line of spit running from Jared’s swollen lips to the vivid red head of Jensen’s dick. 

“Love your fucking cock,” Jared says, momentarily surprised by how fucked out and raw his voice is. Jensen moans, trying to pull Jared’s mouth back onto him and Jared lets him, tonguing at the slit and letting his teeth catch, just barely, under the head. “Get on the bed. Want your ass, too. Wanna fuckin’ taste _all_ of you.”

“Fuck,” Jensen swears, legs trembling like he forgot he was even standing. He falls back onto the bed and positions himself in the middle, legs spreading automatically. Jared kicks off his lounge pants, the only article of clothing he was wearing, and makes himself at home between Jensen’s legs. He wraps one hand around Jensen’s cock and engulfs him again, the other hand sliding up Jensen’s chest before he shoves two fingers into Jensen’s mouth. 

He sucks on them with the same enthusiasm Jared is using to suck his cock, getting his fingers sloppy wet. He lets spit gather in his mouth as he bobs up and down on Jensen’s cock, and when he pulls his fingers away Jensen groans at the loss. 

He uses his free hand to push Jensen’s leg up and back, exposing that pink, perfect hole. It flutters in anticipation and Jared presses his mouth to it, letting spit leak out of his mouth as he stabs at Jensen’s hole with his tongue, forcing his way in before he latches his mouth around it and sucks. 

Jensen cries out, back coming off of the bed in an obscene arch. Jared moves back up, taking Jensen’s cock back in his mouth at the same moment he slides his two slick fingers inside. Jensen keens, palms slapping down onto the bed. 

“You like that, baby?” Jared asks, bottom lip catching on the shining head of Jensen’s dick. Jensen nods, skin flushed so beautifully. Jared grins, screwing his lips down over the head again as he starts to finger Jensen, rubbing against his prostate.

Jensen practically sobs, ass milking Jared’s fingers just like it would his cock. And fuck, Jared wants to be inside him, wants to come in his ass and lick it all back out. But he’s going to get Jensen off just like this first, going to make him come down Jared’s throat while he fucks himself down on Jared’s long fingers. 

He slides a third finger in, barely hesitating before he starts moving them in and out. Jensen’s hips jerk erratically and Jared resists the urge to rut against the bed, instead staying up on his knees, cock poking insistently at his belly. 

Jared takes Jensen’s cock all the way down his throat, just like before, and presses three fingertips against Jensen’s prostate. Jensen screams out, tenses, and then explodes inside Jared’s mouth. He’s still coming when Jared pulls off, swallowing what he can while the last few spurts coat his lips and chin. 

Jensen slumps against the bed, sweaty and boneless. Jared doesn’t give him time to recover, instead wiping the come from his face and spitting into his hand, smearing the obscene mixture on his bare cock before he positions himself. Jensen’s eyes snap open as Jared pushes in, sliding in quick until he bottoms out. 

Jensen is nice and slick from all the spit and Jared’s fingering, and he doesn’t even wait before he starts pounding into him, quick and relentless. Jensen’s fingers scrabble across Jared’s back, sweat stinging the fine scratches he leaves. 

Jensen’s eyes pool with tears, like it’s all just too much. He’s hard again against Jared’s belly, and Jared wraps his hand around Jensen’s sensitive cock and starts to tug. Tears roll down Jensen’s cheeks when he squeezes his eyes shut, hissing and arching up. Jared grins wickedly, his thumb rubbing the slit of Jensen’s cock hard, just how Jensen likes it. 

Jensen cries out over and over, praise, filth, and Jared’s name as he pounds into him so hard he slides up the bed. It’s not long before Jared is coming, spurting endlessly into Jensen as he shouts out loudly. 

Jensen moans, his cock still hard in Jared’s hand. Jared pulls out and slides down, still coming down from his own orgasm as he shoves his tongue into Jensen’s loose hole, licking and sucking his own come out of him. It’s filthy and messy, and he grins as Jensen lets out an endless stream of noise, sounding desperate and broken. 

Once Jensen is clean, he takes his cock back in his mouth, sucking hard on the head as he jacks the shaft. Jensen fucking _screams_ , arching up off of the bed as he comes _again_ in a matter of minutes, and Jared swallows it all greedily. 

When he finally collapses next to Jensen, panting and chest heaving, Jensen is trembling. He’s shaking all over, looking fucked out and dazed, cheeks shining with moisture. Jared rolls onto his side and swipes his thumb under Jensen’s eye.

“You okay?” He asks, and Jensen blinks, looking over at him like he’s gone fucking insane. He rolls over sluggishly, throwing an arm across Jared’s waist and tucking his leg between Jared’s knees.

“That was – _fuck_ , Jared.” He presses his forehead against Jared’s and they grin, breath still coming quick and fast. “Number two on our list of all time greatest fucks.”

Jensen tucks his head underneath Jared’s chin, face buried in the sweaty expanse of his neck. Jared gathers him up in his arms, hand sliding down his back to rest casually on his ass. 

“What’s number one?” Jared asks, pressing a kiss to Jensen’s damp hair. His breathing evens out and he’s quiet for so long that Jared thinks he’s fallen asleep.

“Mm. The first time,” Jensen says sleepily, lips brushing against Jared’s neck. “Don’t laugh.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jared replies, voice suddenly thick. He cards his fingers through Jensen’s hair, eyes drooping shut as they fall asleep, all tangled together and sticky.

Something wakes Jensen up an undeterminable amount of time later. Nighttime has fallen completely, and Jared is snoring lightly against his chest. He smiles softly, pressing his lips against Jared’s shaggy hair.

That’s when the pounding starts again. Jensen furrows his brow, glancing in the general direction of the door. He slides out from underneath Jared and pulls on Jared’s sweatpants, running a hand through his hair as he walks towards the front door. 

He opens it to reveal Savannah and Lucy, once again made up and dressed in tiny shorts and tank tops. Their glassy eyes rake over him appreciatively, and he is suddenly incredibly aware of the bruises and scratches on his hips. Jared’s pants barely stay up on him, and he pulls the drawstring tighter.

“We’ve come to kidnap you!” Lucy cries, bounding forward to engulf Jensen in a hug. Jensen starts a little, his hands resting on her curvy hips for a moment before she pulls away. 

“Yeah, you guys can fuck all day, everyday,” Savannah adds, flicking her chestnut curls over one shoulder. “But you’re only here for three days. Come party with us!” 

“Okay,” Jensen laughs, surprising himself with how quickly he agrees. But he likes these girls. They’re fun. “Uh, Jared is asleep. Getting him up is like trying to wake the dead. Hold on.”

He turns to head back into the condo but the girls push past him, their shrieking laughter echoing through the dark hallway as they head for the bedroom.

Jensen shakes his head and follows them with a rueful grin. The girls flick on the light and dive-bomb the bed, laughing gleefully as they land on top of Jared. His eyes pop open and he lets out a decidedly feminine shriek, tangling in the covers as he rolls off of the bed and lands on the floor with a thunk and a groan. 

“Okay, girls!” Jensen shouts, clapping his hands together. “Eyes off the merchandise. Let us get dressed and we’ll meet you outside.”

The girls bounce out of the room as Jared gracelessly pulls himself back up onto the bed. He shoots Jensen a confused glare and Jensen laughs cheerfully, climbing onto the bed to soothe Jared’s pout with a soft kiss. 

“Our presence is required at the bonfire,” Jensen explains. “Apparently we have to fuck on our own time.”

“This _is_ our own time,” Jared responds, kissing him back. “You wanna go?” 

“For a little while,” Jensen says, sliding his hand up Jared’s bare chest. “Then I wanna come back and suck your cock, let you fuck my pretty mouth.” 

“Shit,” Jared growls, nipping at Jensen’s bottom lip. Jensen pulls away with a sly grin, ducking as Jared reaches out for him. They get dressed quickly, Jared in khaki shorts and a red tee and Jensen in black cargo shorts and an army green shirt. 

Jensen grabs a bottle of tequila from the booze stash they coerced Josh to get for them and they go outside to meet the girls. 

“You reek of sex,” Savannah says, grinning.

“It’s pretty awesome, actually,” Lucy adds, taking the bottle of tequila. Jensen rolls his eyes as they follow the girls down the beach.

Jensen is still iffy around strangers, and he pretty much sticks to Jared like glue and lets him do the talking. It’s a pretty laid back event, just a bunch of locals sitting in a circle around a roaring fire. A couple of guys are strumming guitars and Jensen doesn’t even hesitate when someone hands him a joint. He’s on vacation, after all.

He inhales deeply, feeling the sticky sweet smoke burn his lungs before he exhales. He’s already pleasantly drunk, and he twists in Jared’s lap to press the joint to his lips. Jensen watches Jared’s mouth as he takes a hit, waiting until he blows the smoke out before handing the joint off to Lucy and pressing a kiss to Jared’s lips. 

A few hours pass and Jensen is drunk and high, a pliant mess between Jared’s spread thighs. Jared has his fingers tangled in Jensen’s messy hair as Jensen works his mouth on Jared’s neck, slick and lazy. 

“Looks like you should get your boy home,” someone says to his right, and Jensen grins against Jared’s jaw.

“Yeah,” he breathes. “Take me home.”

They stand up on wobbly legs, brushing the sand from each other’s backs. Their farewells to the group are brief, and they give Savannah and Lucy hugs before they head back to the condo, hand in hand. 

They fall into bed, kissing and licking. They fuck, lazy and barely lucid, before falling asleep in a sweaty pile of limbs on the soft down comforter.

Their last full day in Cayucos gets off to a late start, both boys too content to sleep off their hangovers to get up and do anything. After a greasy breakfast that’s more like lunch at the town’s small diner, they finally head out to explore.

Jared has his digital camera around his neck, snapping pictures of everything that catches his interest. There is an overabundance of antique shops on the main drag, and Jensen takes delight in dragging Jared into every one of them. 

The buildings themselves seem to be antiques; all low ceilings and creaky stairs leading up to treacherous second floors that Jared is sure aren’t safe.

“This is the gayest thing I’ve ever done,” Jared stage whispers as Jensen looks over a display case of ancient crystal figurines. 

“Yesterday you sucked my cock and ate your come out of my ass,” Jensen reminds him, and Jared shoots him a look. 

“Yeah,” he replies, “and this is _still_ gayer than that.”

They duck into the town’s tiny gift shop so Jared can add to the shot glass collection he started at Disneyland, and so Jensen can get Mac and Meg some sort of memento. He settles on matching pink puka shell necklaces. He gets Chad a bottle opener shaped like a naked girl. He figures he’ll appreciate it.

They drop their purchases off at the condo and head out to Pismo Beach on Savannah and Lucy’s insistence that they just had to go to the Splash Café. They dine on what they were assured is the world’s greatest clam chowder. Jared is on his second bowl when Jensen admits that yeah, it’s not half bad. 

They walk down the waterfront, listening to the band playing on the pier. Jensen buys them each a chocolate covered strawberry from a street vendor and flushes bright red when Jared feeds his to him and then leans in to lick the chocolate from his lips, eliciting a wolf whistle from the crowd. 

Their last night in the condo is sort of bittersweet. It’s almost like they’ve been living in this whole other world. A major change in their relationship took place here, and it’s going to be hard to leave the peace and tranquility behind.

Jared pulls the comforter from the bed upstairs to the living room, laying it in front of the open glass doors leading to the balcony. 

He makes love to Jensen there, slow and intense as the sounds of the sea crash over them in waves. Jensen trembles as Jared releases deep inside him, and they kiss languidly until they fall asleep in the cool night air.

They leave bright and early with hundreds of miles to cover before they get to Santa Cruz, their next destination. They’re taking the 1, following the jagged curves of the Pacific Coast Highway up the coast.

Jensen gets sort of nervous once they pass civilization and really get onto the two-lane highway, looking forgotten against the vast backdrop of the sea. There is only a few mere feet of earth separating them from the road and the harsh, rock edge of the cliff. 

He drives slowly, a few miles under the 30 mph speed limit, concentrating on the curves of the road and trying not to get distracted by the devastating beauty of the ocean in the sunlight. 

Jared makes him pull over at nearly every turn out, scaring the shit out of Jensen by climbing up onto rocks to take pictures, the toes of his flip flops hanging over the edge of crumbling dirt. Jensen tangles his fingers nervously in the hem of Jared’s shirt, peering over the edge of the cliff to look at the place where the waves crash unbidden against the rocks.

At one rest stop where Jensen has to precariously maneuver his new SUV down a veritable corkscrew of a dirt road until they reach the beach, Jared practically loses his shit because there is a sea lion hanging out near the rest rooms, right in the middle of the road. 

“Holy shit!” Jared screeches, causing Jensen to slam on the brakes. Jared presses his face against the glass as Jensen carefully drives around the sea lion to park the car. When they get out and start to approach it, Jensen tilts his head to one side. 

“Is it dead?” Jensen asks, and Jared falters in his step, like he’s horrified at the possibility. As if on cue, the sea lion lets out a huge gust of air and rolls onto his other side, flipper settling onto the hot asphalt. 

Jared takes a few more steps forward, camera held firmly in his hands. 

“Don’t get too close,” Jensen cautions. Jared smiles and crouches down a few feet from it. 

“It’s not gonna hurt anyone,” Jared replies, snapping a picture or two. “It’s just soaking up some sun. Come here,” Jared adds, when it becomes apparent that Jensen plans to stay a reasonable distance away. “I want to get a picture of you with it.”

Jensen slowly walks over to Jared and lets his boyfriend arrange him a safe few feet from the sea lion. He snaps a few pictures and they trade places, letting Jensen take a few snapshots of him making funny faces at it. 

They leave the sea lion and wander along the rocky shore for a while, stretching their legs. Jared asks pretty much every stranger they come across to take a picture of them, and when they come across a group of teenage girls he even indulges in a kiss, tangling his fingers in Jensen’s windblown hair as the camera clicks. 

They get back on the road not long after that, passing a town called Gorda that seems to be made up of little more than a diner and a gas station asking six bucks a gallon for regular unleaded. Jensen is downright flabbergasted by the price, and unsurprisingly, Jared makes him pull over to take a picture. 

They pass Big Sur, making a quick stop for caffeine for Jensen and a shot glass for Jared. They duck into a hippie shop, giggling insanely at their display of “crystal fertility symbols” which are pretty much glass dildos ranging in size from tiny to well, actual dildo sized. The old woman behind the counter smells like patchouli oil and glares at them when they get too loud. Jensen blushes crimson as he buys one of the larger ones, just for shits and giggles, and Jared laughs like a hyena behind him. 

“Should we pick up some essential _oils_?” Jared asks gleefully, gesturing at the display of oils across the room. Jensen rolls his eyes and pushes Jared towards the door. “Come on! It will help _ease the way_ of our new fertility symbol! It will help us _accept it_ into ourselves!”

“Shut the _fuck_ up,” Jensen growls, pushing Jared through the beaded entryway and out into the crisp sunshine. 

“So you gonna let me use that glass dick on you later, or what?” Jared asks, wiggling his eyebrows as he slips his sunglasses down over his eyes. 

“Maybe I’ll use it on _you_ ,” Jensen threatens, unlocking the car. “Shove it up your virgin ass and wipe the smirk right off your face.”

Jensen ducks into the driver’s seat then, missing the way a shudder racks Jared’s body. 

Jared gets into the car and Jensen grins over at him, smile faltering when he sees Jared biting his lip. There’s a bulge at the front of his pants and Jensen’s breath catches when he sees it, teeth pressing into his full bottom lip. 

The air crackles between them, something unspoken on both of their minds. Jared’s cheeks turn pink and Jensen clears his throat, effectively ending the moment. They’re silent as Jensen pulls back onto the winding highway, but the wheels in his brain are turning.

They stop for dinner in Carmel, wandering slightly until Jared finds a gift shop to supplement his ever growing shot glass addiction. The sun is beginning to dip below the horizon, and Jensen is immensely grateful when the highway widens. He was not looking forward to driving along the steep cliffs at night.

When they finally pull into their hotel in Santa Cruz, they’re both tired and sick of being in the car. Jensen desperately wants a shower. His skin and hair feel greasy from the hours of recycled air and his clothes are wrinkled and damp with sweat. He runs his fingers through his hair as he enters the office to check in. Jared is quick on his heels, and he slings an arm across Jensen’s shoulders and presses a loving kiss against Jensen’s temple as he rings the service bell.

“Thanks for driving the whole way, Jen,” Jared says, nose skimming the soft skin behind Jensen’s ear. 

“No problem,” Jensen replies, leaving heavily against Jared’s side. A guy comes out of the back then, and Jensen’s gaydar pings wildly. He’s got frosted tips and he’s wearing an obscenely tight hot pink polo shirt. The guy grins when he sees Jared and Jensen standing entwined at his front desk.

“What do we have here?” He asks, clapping his hands together. 

“Checking in,” Jensen replies, hand resting over Jared’s heart. “Ackles.” The man, nametag reading Matt, nods and hits a few keys on his keyboard. 

“Just a standard room?” He asks, pouting. Jensen furrows his brow and shrugs. “That won’t do.” Matt gets a gleam in his eye and hits another series of keys. “We had a cancellation. Now, I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He slips over a set of keycards and winks at them. Jensen picks them up and looks up at Matt inquisitively. 

“Junior suite,” Matt clarifies. “You two are just too cute. Have fun.”

“Uh, thanks,” Jensen says, and looks over at Jared. They leave the office and get back into the car, driving around to park closer to their room. They heft their luggage out of the car and make their way up to the third floor. Jensen unlocks the door and they head inside. Jared lets out a low whistle. 

The suite is exactly that. A king sized canopy bed takes up much of the main room, and they have a balcony with ocean and boardwalk views. Jensen goes into the bathroom and gasps. There is a giant, sunken jet tub that he and Jared could both fit into comfortably. A basket of assorted bath items sits on the edge of the tub and Jensen wastes no time in stripping out of his clothes.

“Jared!” He calls, turning the water on and rocking impatiently on the balls of his feet as he waits for it to fill. He adds a little bit of bath salt and some bubble bath. He’s considering if it would be worth Jared making fun of him if he lit the candles when Jared comes in the room. 

“Wow,” Jared replies, eyes raking hungrily over Jensen’s naked body. 

“Take a bath with me?” Jensen asks, turning to face him. Jared nods and starts getting rid of his own clothes. “Will you make fun of me if I light candles?” 

“Not tonight,” Jared laughs, kicking his underwear into the corner of the room. Jensen beams, fetching his lighter out of his pants pocket and lighting a few candles. He climbs into the tub, hissing when the hot water touches his skin. He sits down and leans against the slick edge of the tub, reaching over to turn on the jets. Jared raises an eyebrow. 

“You’re the one lighting candles and I get the girly seat?” Jensen laughs and beckons Jared forward. Jared climbs into the tub and sits between Jensen’s legs, settling himself back against Jensen. He hisses when Jared brushes his soft cock, and he wraps his legs around Jared’s waist, relishing in the feeling of Jared all slick and warm against him.

After they relax for a few minutes, muscles loosening, Jensen prods Jared’s shoulder. “Dip down and get your hair wet for me.”

Jared does so, slipping under the water for a second. Jensen gets some shampoo in his palms, gently scrubbing it into Jared’s hair. He massages Jared’s scalp and the taller boy sighs, resting his hands on Jensen’s thighs under the water. He taps Jared’s shoulder again and he dunks under the water, Jensen’s fingers in his hair to get out all the shampoo. When he resurfaces, he rests his head on Jensen’s shoulder, sighing contentedly as Jensen lathers him up with soap. 

Jensen presses soft kisses to the side of Jared’s neck, slick hand sliding down Jared’s chest to dip under the water and curl around his cock. He gives it a squeeze and Jared hisses. Jensen catches Jared’s earlobe between his teeth as his thumb moves back and forth across the head of his dick. 

He lets his hand trail lower, fingertips ghosting across his balls to press behind them, the tip of his middle finger pressing against Jared’s hole. 

This is sort of unexplored territory. Sure, Jensen has rimmed him and slid a finger up his ass while giving him head, but nothing that had true purpose behind it. He presses the tip of his finger just inside Jared’s hole and Jared whimpers, legs falling wide open. He presses further back against Jensen, lifting his ass in a clear invitation. 

Jensen presses his finger in deeper, arm burning from the awkward angle. He pulls his finger out and lets Jared rock back against him, the head of his dick catching against Jared’s hole. He wants so badly to just grab Jared’s hips and thrust up into him, _finally_ be inside of Jared. 

But it’s Jared’s first time bottoming. He deserves better than some clumsy fuck in a hotel bathtub. He deserves it to be as amazing as Jensen’s was. 

“Jay,” Jensen breathes, grabbing Jared’s hips to still him. “I know what you want, baby. Let’s go to the bedroom so I can make it good.” 

Jared gets out of the tub, dripping water all over the floor. Jensen takes a deep breath, suddenly nervous. He dunks his head under the water, scrubbing his fingers through his hair before he gets out. They half-heartedly dry off and Jensen grabs the lube from his bag as Jared settles himself in the middle of the bed, legs spread and hands clenched in the sheets. Jensen crawls gracefully between his thighs, propping himself up over Jared and ducking down to kiss him passionately, tongues tangling. 

Jensen pulls away and kisses his way down Jared’s body, bypassing his leaking cock to press a soft kiss to his inner thigh. He’s trembling, and Jensen’s heart trips over a few beats. He’s going to make this so fucking amazing for Jared if it’s the last thing he ever does. 

Jensen grabs one of the many pillows and sticks it under Jared’s hips, pulling his legs open wider as he settles in, chest pressed against the bed. He touches his tongue to Jared’s clenched hole, laving it with long, wet licks. Jared pants, little _uh uh uh_ ’s of breath as he presses back against Jensen’s mouth. 

He pulls Jared’s cheeks apart with his thumbs, pressing his tongue insistently against Jared’s hole until he relaxes enough to let Jensen in. He fucks his tongue in as much as he can, scraping his teeth against the pink rim. 

Jensen lubes up his fingers as he continues to tongue at Jared’s ass, tasting soap and something darker, addicting. He pulls his mouth away and massages Jared’s hole with one finger, slicking it up before he presses in, all the way to the knuckle. 

Jared moans, back arching slightly. Jensen crooks his finger, searching. He knows when he’s found the right spot when Jared keens, ass clenching Jensen’s finger like a vice. He pulls one finger out only to shove two in, swallowing Jared’s cock at the same time to distract him from the burn. 

Jared’s hands clench painfully at Jensen’s shoulders, nails digging in. Jensen sucks Jared’s cock, bobbing up and down as he moves his fingers in and out. Jared can’t seem to decide where to put his hands, squeezing Jensen’s shoulders, petting his hair, touching his face. 

Jensen dribbles more lube on his hand and slides three fingers in this time. Jared hisses, and Jensen knows this is the most he’s ever taken. He lets Jared’s cock fall from his mouth and he moves down to lick at the stretched rim of Jared’s ass, tongue teasing between his fingers. 

“How’s it feel, baby?” Jensen asks, words muffled against Jared’s hole. He can’t seem to stop with the endearments. Any other time, Jared would call him out on it. But not tonight.

“Good,” Jared gasps out, pushing back against his fingers. “Want – want your cock, Jen. Please?”

Jensen swallows hard, sliding his clean hand up Jared’s trembling thigh. He pulls his fingers out and slides up Jared’s body, placing his clean hand on Jared’s cheek. 

“You sure?” Jensen asks, and Jared nods. He kisses Jensen, soft and sweet.

“Wanna feel you, Jen. Come on.” Jensen nods and pulls back, coating his bare dick with a liberal amount of lube. He wipes his hand on one of their discarded towels. He positions himself between Jared’s legs, and Jared instinctually wraps his legs around Jensen’s waist. He props himself up over Jared on one hand, the other gripping the base of his dick. He waits until he catches Jared’s eye and then pushes in, the head of his cock breaching the tight ring of muscle. Jared whimpers and Jensen grabs his hand, tangling their fingers together as Jared tenses all over. 

“Relax, Jared,” Jensen says softly, lying down on top of Jared and cupping his cheek. “Let me in, okay?” 

Jensen catches his lips then, kissing him with everything he’s feeling – pleasure, passion, and overwhelming love. When Jared is distracted with the kiss, he pushes the rest of the way inside, bottoming out. 

Jared moans into Jensen’s mouth, loud and broken. Jensen clenches Jared’s hand tighter, fingers burying themselves in Jared’s silky hair.

Jensen wants to cry, it feels so good. He grins against Jared’s lips, thumb stroking across Jared’s temple. 

“Oh god, ungh – _Jen_ ,” Jared cries, hips thrusting back against Jensen. “Do it. Move.”

Jensen props himself back up on one hand while Jared keeps a death grip on the other. He stares down at Jared’s face, flushed a gorgeous shade of pink. His eyes are wide and glassy, lips red and swollen. 

“God, you’re gorgeous,” Jensen breathes, reaching down to grip Jared’s hip as he pulls out. He sets a steady pace, fucking Jared with long, slow thrusts. 

“So good, Jen,” Jared moans, reaching up to put his hand on the side of Jensen’s neck. “Love you so much.”

“Love you too,” Jensen replies, fucking into Jared a little harder, cock brushing over his prostate on every other stroke. He’s so close to the edge, pleasure crackling like electricity up his spine. He untangles his hand from Jared’s to reach down and wrap it around his cock, fingers twisting just how Jared likes it, thumb rubbing insistently at the slit. Jared cries out, thrusting up into Jensen’s hand and down against his cock. 

Seconds later, Jared tenses up and lets out a guttural shout as he comes, slicking Jensen’s fingers and his own belly. His ass spasms around Jensen’s cock, and that’s fucking _it_. That and the blissful expression on Jared’s face send Jensen over the edge and he empties himself inside Jared, crying out as spurt after spurt leaves him. 

He collapses on top of Jared, panting heavily into his neck. Jared’s thighs are trembling against Jensen’s hips and he slides clumsy hands down Jensen’s back to cup his ass. He breathlessly utters praise against Jensen’s temple, pressing kisses there whenever he can get a breath. 

“Good?” Jensen asks later, once he’s pulled out and they’re lying cuddled together under the covers. Jared pushes at his shoulder, and reaches up to cup Jensen’s jaw. 

“Amazing,” Jared says, kissing Jensen softly. “Don’t know why I waited so long.”

“Mm,” Jensen replies, yawning. “I love you.”

“You too,” Jared responds, smiling as Jensen tucks his head under Jared’s chin. 

They fall asleep like that, the lights of the boardwalk filtering in through the windows.

Jensen opens his eyes blearily, stretching until his back pops. His cell phone continues to ring, loud and obnoxious, on the nightstand. He groans and snatches it up, brows furrowing in confusion when he glances at the display.

“Jared?” He answers, looking around the room. “Where are you?” 

“ _Jen, you have to come downstairs!_ ” He’s talking a mile a minute and Jensen, in his barely awake state, can barely understand him. “ _They have a fuckin’ waffle bar at their continental breakfast and it ends in half an hour. Get your ass down here and eat waffles with me!_ ”

“Fine,” Jensen replies, swinging his legs off of the bed. “I’m on my way.”

He hangs up the phone and gets out of bed, wrinkling his nose at the pull of dried come on his belly. That in itself isn’t an unusual way for him to wake up, but the lack of an accompanying mess between his legs is something new. 

He smiles softly to himself as he remembers the night before, how amazing it felt to finally be inside of Jared, to have Jared trust him that much. He hurries as he wipes himself off with a wet washcloth and pulls on some clean clothes, suddenly wanting to be near Jared even more. 

The sun is bright as he heads downstairs, and he shields his eyes with his hand as he makes his way to the office. There are a few people scattered around the small dining area and Jared is at a table for two in the corner, shoveling fruit into his face as he reads the comics. There are two Belgian waffles sitting in front of him, covered in rapidly melting butter. Jensen weaves between the tables until he reaches Jared, leaning down to give him a quick kiss on the temple before dropping into his seat. 

“Hey,” Jared says, giving him a bright grin and setting down the paper. “I got yours for you.” 

“Thanks,” Jensen says, grabbing his plate and sliding it towards him. He picks up a fork and stabs it into a strawberry on Jared’s plate. “How are you feeling?” 

“Fine, why?” Jared asks, tearing his eyes from the comics to look over at Jensen. He wraps his lips around the end of the strawberry and wiggles his eyebrows. Jared actually blushes a little, smiling and biting his bottom lip. “A little sore, but good.” 

“Good,” Jensen replies, and then bites into the strawberry. Jared smirks and continues eating his waffle with one hand while going through a stack of pamphlets for what appears to be every single tourist attraction in the area. “You know we’re only here for two days, right?”

“I know,” Jared replies, sorting through the pamphlets until he spots a bright yellow one. “I want to go here, like, as soon as I’m done with this waffle.”

“The Mystery Spot?” Jensen inquires, raising an eyebrow. “I sort of thought we could go to the boardwalk, what with it being Santa Cruz’s most famous landmark and you know, _right there_ ,” he adds, gesturing towards the door with his fork.

“Exactly, it’s right there. It’s not going anywhere,” Jared responds, picking up the pamphlet. “We have to go!” He reads from the pamphlet, taking on a sort of creepy announcer voice. “ _Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. But don't take our word for it, come and decide for yourself!_ Can we go, Jen?”

“Science geek,” Jensen says, and then shoves a huge bite of waffle in his mouth. 

“Drama dork,” Jared replies automatically, and Jensen shrugs. He washes down the giant bite with a few gulps from Jared’s glass of milk. 

“Fine, we’ll go,” Jensen says. “But I’m taking a shower first.”

Jared grins and bounces a little before leaning over to give Jensen a sticky kiss.

The Mystery Spot is located in the woods on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, and Jensen nearly misses both nearly nondescript turnoffs. He sighs in relief when they finally find the place. He’s so sick of driving on curvy roads that it’s not even funny.

“They have shot glasses!” Jared cries as soon as they enter the gift shop to purchase their tickets. Jensen rolls his eyes in fond exasperation.

“Are we going to actually use these at any point?” Jensen asks as he pays for their tickets and the shot glass Jared sets down.

“How ‘bout tonight?” Jared asks, shoving the hastily wrapped shot glass in the oversized pocket of his cargo shorts once the cashier hands it over. 

“Okay,” Jensen agrees, and Jared hits the vending machine for a candy fix as they wait for their tour to begin. 

The tour actually turns out to pretty awesome. It’s the typical stuff; walking up walls, balls rolling uphill, things like that. Jensen’s favorite part is when they are picked out of the crowd to be part of a demonstration. The tour guide has them each stand on one end of a plank of wood and sets a level down on it. When they look over at each other, Jensen appears to be actually taller than Jared. He cackles in delight and asks the tour guide to take a picture. 

“Don’t get used to it, midget,” Jared cajoles, getting Jensen in a headlock. Jensen bites his chest hard enough to make him squeak. 

Once the tour is over, they head into downtown Santa Cruz to do a little exploring and get an early dinner. It’s barely six by the time they get back into the room, and Jensen collapses back onto the bed as Jared lines up their shot glasses on the dresser. 

“What’s your poison?” Jared asks, getting their alcohol supply out of his bag. 

“Whatever you want,” Jensen asks, getting up to collect all the shot glasses. He takes them into the bathroom and washes them out before returning them to the dresser. 

“Tequila it is,” Jared says, spinning the bottle in his hands. “There’s eight shot glasses here. Four shots each.” 

“Fuck,” Jensen says, grabbing his bottle of water off of the bed, prepared to chug. “In a row?” 

“Yes, you pussy!” Jared cries, filling up each glass to the brim and separating them into two groups of four. 

“With no salt and lemon?” Jensen whines, and then takes a long pull from his water bottle. He eyes the shots wearily. “If we had salt and lemon we could do body shots.” 

“No salt and lemon,” Jared replies. He picks up one shot and hands another to Jensen. “Take it like a man! One, two, three – go!” 

They slam back all four shots in rapid succession, and Jensen’s throat feels like it’s on fire by the time he’s done. He takes another long drink from his water bottle and then hands it over to Jared. 

“Well, give that a few minutes,” Jared laughs, eyes bright and happy. He tackles Jensen to the bed with a chuckle and, as it turns out, you really _don’t_ need salt and lemon to do body shots.

So, they’re drunk, and they just had fucking _fantastic_ sex.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Jared pants into Jensen’s back, sliding his hands down Jensen’s arms and resting them on top of Jensen’s fingers, still curled in a death grip around the headboard.

His back is in an obscene arch and Jared runs his hand down it, slapping lightly at his ass. Jensen sucks in a breath and shudders, making Jared grin. 

“You like that?” Jared rasps, because it’s not uncommon for him to get obscene when he’s drunk. Or any time, really. Jensen doesn’t say anything, still too fucked out to be coherent. Jared’s cock is still buried deep in Jensen’s ass, half hard and interested in round two. He slaps Jensen’s ass again and pulls his dick out slowly, staring intently at the pink, glistening hole. He slides two fingers in without preamble, making Jensen cry out and drop his forehead to the wall. He _whimpers_ when Jared crooks his fingers up, his thighs trembling with the effort to stay on his knees.

“So fucking hot,” Jared says, watching his fingers slip in and out. Jensen groans, finally letting go of the headboard and dropping to his hands and knees on the bed.

“Fuck,” Jensen breathes, sighing as Jared withdraws his fingers. He flops down onto his back and Jensen rolls over, both of them staring up at the ceiling, pleasantly drunk and fucked stupid.

“We should probably leave the room at some point,” Jared says conversationally, “while you can still like, walk.”

Jensen cuts him a look, still breathing hard. He’s got streaks of come across his belly and Jared eyes him hungrily. He rolls over to pin Jensen but he moves out of the way too quickly, wobbling slightly when he stands up. 

“Let me get cleaned up,” Jensen says, slurring only slightly, “and we can hit the boardwalk.”

Jared nods and rolls out of bed, wiping down with the same cloth they used earlier, which is sort of gross but whatever. He pulls on a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a light blue shirt. That is followed up by a hoodie and he steps into his flip-flops as he runs his fingers through his hair. He glances at his reflection in the mirror over the desk. Freshly fucked is a _very_ good look on him. 

He pours out a few more shots of tequila in the shot glass collection they’ve started since they left home. His personal favorite is a crooked one proclaiming _I got tipsy in California!_ that they picked up in Cayucos. 

“Jen!” He calls out, dropping the lid to the bottle and watching as it rolls across the floor. “You fall in or what?” 

Jensen comes out then, and Jared nearly drops the tequila bottle. “Shit.”

Jensen glances up, seemingly unaware that he’s about to make Jared’s dick explode simply from being so fucking _hot_. He’s wearing a black military cap, dark blonde hair curling just barely around his freckled ears, and those black framed glasses Jared loves so much. Black, form fitting military jacket hanging open over a forest green tee shirt. Tight jeans and black Chuck Taylors. Jared feels his mouth go dry. 

“Okay, so fuck going out,” Jared says. “I’m going to fuck you against that wall with all your clothes on, because _goddamn_.” He gets up and makes his way towards Jensen, pressing him up against the wall and kissing his neck wetly. Jensen laughs and pushes him away, which in itself should be a crime. 

“Stop,” Jensen chuckles. “We’re in Santa Cruz. They’ll like, lynch us if we don’t hit the boardwalk. If you’re a good boy, I’ll let you fuck me on the balcony.”

“Deal.” Jared grins and hands over another shot glass. ( _Show me the booty!_ , courtesy of Pismo Beach.) “Drink.”

They knock back a few more shots, and it’s a miracle they manage to remember cell phones, wallets, and room keys before leaving. They giggle drunkenly on their way through the parking lot, earning a few curious glances in their direction. 

It’s late, and the cool ocean air feels amazing on their flushed faces. The bright lights of the Santa Cruz boardwalk glow in the distance, and they make their way towards it, stumbling only slightly down the street. 

“You’re going to get us arrested for public drunkenness, asshole,” Jensen practically screams, which Jared doesn’t think helps. They manage to get their wristbands without incident, and they quickly find out that roller coasters are fucking awesome when you’re drunk out of your skull. 

Well, for first three or four times. 

Jensen hangs over the railing, gunning a cigarette while Jared waits in line for funnel cake. He’s like, ridiculously excited for funnel cake. It’s crazy. He hears giggling behind him and he turns to see two teenage girls, only slightly younger than him. They’re both wearing tank tops and shorts, despite the chill in the air. 

“Hi,” one of them says, and she’s sort of ridiculously hot. Blonde hair and big blue eyes. Jared smiles warmly at them, leaning forward slightly. Jensen appears at his side, and their eyes light up like they’ve won the lottery. “Nice night,” Jared says, and leans down to nuzzle at Jensen’s neck. Jensen flushes red and slips his hand under Jared’s hoodie. The girls gasp and giggle again, and Jared offers them a grin before turning to order, Jensen’s fingers hot like brands against his stomach. 

They sit down at a picnic table so Jared can eat his funnel cake, and Jensen spends five minutes trying to light another cigarette before he finally gives up and admits the lighter is dead. 

“I’m gonna go bum a light from that dude,” he says after doing a quick scan of the area. “Hold on.”

Jared watches as he gets up and jogs over to a guy smoking and leaning up against the railing. He’s tall, with black hair and a hot body. He can see them talking but he can’t make out what they’re saying. His brow furrows when the guy turns his body towards Jensen and leans in close to light Jensen’s cigarette. When he reaches out to touch Jensen’s arm and Jensen laughs at something he said, Jared stands up and goes over to them. 

“Ready to go?” Jared asks into Jensen’s temple as he circles Jensen’s waist with his arms. The guy raises his eyebrow and Jared raises one right back, nose skimming Jensen’s cheek. 

“Yeah,” Jensen says, leaning heavily against Jared. ‘Uh, thanks for the light.” 

Jared pulls him away and leads him towards the entrance of the boardwalk. “What’s up, jealousy?” Jensen grins, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

“Dude, did you ever realize how fucking hot we are?” Jared asks loudly, earning a few weird looks. “Like, everyone wants us. Isn’t that fucking crazy?”

“Pretty crazy,” Jensen agrees. They wander down the waterfront in silence, Jared’s arm slung casually across Jensen’s shoulders. Most of the shops are closed but some still have their neon signs blazing, trying to attract tourists. One sign in particular catches Jared’s eye, and the gears in his brain drunkenly turn. 

“Dude, you know those ideas that you get when you’re really drunk that sound super awesome at the time but really like, probably aren’t?” Jared says excitedly. “I totally just came up with one.”

“And now I’m scared,” Jensen says, eyeing Jared wearily. Jared pulls away and waves his arms, because this is seriously one of his best ideas ever, drunk or not.

“No, like, seriously. I think this could be pretty awesome. It would commemorate our trip and like – you’re _it_ for me. Jen, you know that, right? I wanna like – just come _on_.”

Jared drags Jensen through a door, and they both blink against the bright light. Two girls bounce up to them in bikini tops and tiny cut off shorts. They’ve got tattoos trailing down their arms and even Jensen can’t help but stare at their chests because _damn_.

“Look what we have here!” The blonde one croons, and takes Jensen’s face in her hands, turning it from side to side. The brunette does the same to Jared, getting up on her tiptoes to slide her fingers through Jared’s hair.

“You boys are both getting done, right?” The brunette practically moans, reaching over to run her hand down Jensen’s chest. “Please say yes.”

“Yes!” Jared yells, and Jensen shoots him a curious look. The girls shriek and bounce, their tits damn near coming out of their bikinis and Jensen sort of wants to punch Jared for staring. 

Jensen finally gets around to looking past the two hot (if slightly insane) girls and around the room, trying to make sense of the situation. That’s when it hits him. They’re in a fucking _tattoo parlor_. 

“Uh, Jared?” Jensen squeaks, but the brunette has already dragged him off to look at displays on the wall. She’s got a butterfly low on her back and Jared’s hand is resting slightly above it. The blonde in front of him takes his hat off and ruffles his hair, her fingers trailing down his neck. 

“Jesus,” she says, her voice rough with smoke. “The things I would let you do to me. You have no idea.”

Jensen blushes crimson and he’s drunk enough that heat curls low in his belly because he fucking gets off on dirty talk, alright?

“So what are you guys looking for?” The brunette asks, plastered against Jared’s side. Jared pulls away and steps behind Jensen, wrapping his arms around Jensen’s waist. Jensen leans back against him and instead of looking put out, the girls look even more intrigued. 

“Well, this is my boyfriend,” Jared says happily, sliding his hands into Jensen’s front pockets. “And like, I wanted us to get something. But not something like, really gay like our names or anything. Just – I dunno, something?”

Jensen thinks he should think this is a bad idea, but it actually sounds sort of awesome. That’s probably the liquor talking, but it’s sort of sweet. In a way. 

It’s definitely the liquor talking.

“Look at this one,” Jared says, walking Jensen over towards the nearest wall. He reaches up and points at a small design made up of four stars, the first being the size of a quarter and getting gradually bigger. It’s actually really cool. “I want you to get it here,” Jared says, slipping his hand past the waistband of his jeans and letting his long fingers trail along Jensen’s right hipbone. He presses wet kisses to Jensen’s neck as he speaks. “Can you imagine how fucking hot that would be?”

It’s really not fair for Jared to ask him anything when he’s drunk and he’s got Jensen all wrapped up in his arms with his _hand_ down Jensen’s _pants_. So he’s pretty much sold on the idea.

“And what would you get?” Jensen says breathlessly, shifting his hips up because in his current state he wouldn’t be adverse to Jared jerking him off right here in front of these skanky girls. They would probably even enjoy the show. 

“The same thing,” Jared says. “Opposite hip.” 

“Yeah, alright,” Jensen says, dropping his head back on Jared’s shoulder and turning to kiss and bite at his neck, pressing his hips up into Jared’s hand. He pulls his hand out of Jensen’s pants and slides it up his stomach, pulling his shirt up as he goes. 

“Okay,” the blonde says, “you guys seriously need to stop if you want us to be able to function properly.”

“But shit, you kids are hot,” the brunette says, grabbing a box of rubber gloves. “Now drop your pants.”

The girls actually are professionals, and they aren’t led to the back until their ID’s are checked and consent forms are signed. Jared and Jensen both kick off their pants, Jensen in tiny black briefs and Jared in navy blue boxer briefs. They climb up on the chairs and look over at each other.

“Tell me this isn’t a bad idea,” Jensen says, and Jared grins lazily. 

“This is a fucking awesome idea,” Jared replies, and they both look up as the girls walk in. The blonde, Kerri, takes Jensen and the brunette, Tyler, takes Jared. 

“Best night ever,” Kerri says as she pulls Jensen’s briefs down slightly. She scrubs the sensitive skin of his hip with an alcohol swab and Jensen bites his lip. Kerri presses the decal onto Jensen’s hip. Tyler nods as she does the same to Jared. “How’s it look, boys?” 

They look over at each other’s decals and then up at each other, grinning. 

“Let’s do it,” Jared says, catching Jensen’s eye. Jensen nods and hooks his thumb in the waistband of his underwear, holding it down so Kerri can work. She grins up him, her large breasts pressed firm against his thigh.

“Ready?” She asks, dipping the needle of her tattoo gun into a thimble of black ink. Jensen swallows hard and nods, bracing himself for the pain. The needle touches the thin skin stretched over the sharp bone of his hip, white hot pain, and he gasps. He looks over at Jared, takes in the slight arch of his spine. Tyler is draped over his lap, hair falling over her face as she concentrates. 

“You’re turned on,” Jensen says, the alcohol in his system and the pain from the needle making him forget to censor himself. Jared looks over, grinning wide and lazy. Jensen knows that look when he sees it. 

“He’s not the only one,” Kerri mumbles, and Jensen blinks as she shifts her weight. He’s hard as a fucking rock, his underwear tenting obviously. He blushes crimson and Kerri looks up at him, grinning. “Happens all the time.”

“I don’t think you girls will mind that I say this,” Jared says, “but Jensen, I am going to fuck you so hard when we get back to the room.” 

“God Jared, shut up,” Jensen groans, looking down to watch Kerri etch permanent lines into his skin. The pain buzzes pleasantly through his entire body and Kerri swirls red in with the black. It’s not long before she’s done and she puts her gun down, surveying her work. Tyler’s gun stops buzzing just a few moments later and the girls rub ointment on the inflamed skin. 

“These boys have to go up on the wall, no question,” Kerri says, sliding her stool over to inspect Tyler’s work. 

“Definitely,” Tyler says, clapping her hands together. “Alright, boys. Get up. Take your shirts off. Make it sexy.”

Jared and Jensen grin and get off of the chairs, standing in front of each other and lifting each other’s shirts. They pull them off and toss them on the chairs. The girls lead them over to a blank wall and they arrange them hip to hip, so it’s almost like their stars make one continuous line, one body to the other. 

They cock their hips out, hooking their thumbs in their waistbands and tugging them down to reveal their new tattoos and a lot of extra skin. They dip their heads and place a hand on each other’s stomachs, fingers digging into skin. 

“That’s it,” Kerri says, snapping numerous shots with a Polaroid camera. She hands all the pictures over to Tyler as they come out. “So go make copies, Tyler, like now. For like, research.” 

Tyler scampers off and Kerri places bandages over their tattoos. “Alright boys, as much as it pains me to say it, you can put your clothes back on.”

The boys laugh, sharing awkward, drunken kisses as they stumble into their pants. Kerri and Tyler come in, breaking up their impromptu make out session and making sure they pay attention to the after care instructions. 

They leave Kerri and Tyler with big tips and slightly obscene kisses before they stumble out into the cold night air, arms around each other and laughing.

“I can’t believe you made me get a tattoo,” Jensen says, pulling on the sleeve of Jared’s hoodie. 

“I can’t believe you popped wood with a girl in your lap. Way to be gay,” Jared retorts. Jensen throws his head back and wraps an arm around Jared’s waist. 

“I’m still hard,” Jensen whispers in Jared’s ear. “When we get back to the room I want you to suck me. And then I want you to fuck me so hard.”

He feels Jared shudder and nod, dragging Jensen just a bit faster in his impatience to do just that.

When Jensen opens his eyes the next morning, he immediately wishes he hadn’t. He head throbs and his mouth is bone dry. Jared is half on top of him, making his whole body sweat.

“Get the fuck off,” Jensen says, pushing his fucking gigantic furnace of a boyfriend off of him. Jared grumbles but doesn’t wake up, curling in on himself on the other side of the bed. Jensen flips himself over onto his stomach, trying to get more comfortable. His hip drags painfully across the sheets and he hisses. He rolls onto his back and pushes the covers down. There is a white bandage taped across his hip and he furrows his brow, a memory tingling at the back of his mind. 

“What the – oh _shit_.” He pauses, suddenly remembering kissing a bubbly blonde girl rather enthusiastically. He groans and rolls his eyes, reaching down to rip the bandage from his skin. The black and red tattoo stands out starkly against the pale, freckled skin stretched across his hip. He lets his head fall back to the pillow, taking a deep breath before turning on his side and proceeding to beat the ever loving shit out of Jared.

“You dick!” Jensen says, pounding on Jared’s back. “I’m never getting drunk with you again.” Jared wakes up at some point during the beating and rolls over, trying to deflect Jensen’s fists. “ _Let’s get tattoos!_ ” Jensen says in a mocking, high pitched voice. “ _It’ll be so hot!_ Ugh, I can’t fucking believe this.”

“Jen!” Jared yells, finally managing to grab his wrists. “Calm the fuck down. Shit!”

“Calm down?” Jensen shrieks. “I have a _tattoo_ , Jared.”

“I _know_ ,” Jared says, bravely letting go of one of Jensen’s wrists. “So do I. I got it for you.”

“You got it for me. What a load of – oh.” Jensen cuts himself off when Jared pulls off his own bandage and Jensen catches sight of Jared’s identical tattoo, black and red against the tan skin of his hip. It’s sort of ridiculously hot, and Jensen bites his lip.

“I don’t regret it,” Jared says, pressing his hip against Jensen’s so their tattoos line up. Jensen’s features soften and he sighs and rolls his eyes. He reaches out to lightly touch the inflamed skin of Jared’s tattoo, making his boyfriend hiss. 

“Fine. I guess they’re not so bad,” Jensen relents, admiring the lines of ink of Jared’s skin. “It’s not like they’re huge or anything.” He looks over to see Jared’s eyes traveling across his naked body hungrily. “Oh no. I need like eight Tylenol and another six hours of sleep before you can even _look_ at me like that.”

Jared chuckles and rolls out of bed, coming back a few moments later with a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. He puts a few in Jensen’s hand and watches as he drinks down the water. He takes his own pills and sets the glass down on the nightstand before he lies back down, gathering Jensen in his arms. 

“Are you really mad at me?” Jared asks quietly, dragging the tip of his nose along Jensen’s cheek. Jensen rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to Jared’s chin.

“No. Asshole.” Jensen presses himself up against Jared, and his warm skin stings his tattoo but he doesn’t move away, too content in Jared’s arms. “Now let me sleep.”

The next time Jensen wakes up, the pounding in his skull is less intense and there is loud music blaring somewhere in the vicinity of his ear.

_I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstick. I kissed a girl just to try it. I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it._

The only reason Jensen knows it’s his cell phone is the annoying buzzing accompanying his new ringtone. He has no idea how Jared managed to get up and be functional enough to replace his normal ringtone with one that mocks Jensen’s unfortunate drunken antics when Jensen himself feels like bashing his own head in with the heaviest object he can pick up. Clearly, Jared is the devil.

“Fucking douchebag,” Jensen mumbles, reaching out to grab the phone. He glances blearily at the display and rolls his eyes.

“What?” He croaks once he answers, rolling over to face away from the balcony and the evil sunlight it’s letting flood the room. 

_”Dude,”_ Josh laughs. _”It’s like noon. How’s the hangover?”_

“Marginally less annoying than you on a good day, which is to say really fucking annoying,” Jensen quips, and reaches out for Jared, furrowing his brow when he only finds cold sheets. He sits up and looks around the hotel room, letting out a tiny noise of displeasure when he sees that it’s empty. 

_”You’re being smart about that shit, right?”_ Josh asks. Jensen rolls his eyes and rubs the sleep out of them.

“No bottles in the car. Bag them up and keep them in the trunk,” Jensen says, repeating Josh’s rules in monotone. 

_”Good,”_ Josh says. _”I just wanted to see how you guys were doing.”_

“Uh,” Jensen says, looking down at his tattoo. “Great.”

_”Lots of crazy monkey sex?”_

“You’re oddly interested in my sex life, Josh.” 

_”Whatever,”_ Josh replies flippantly. _”You guys are headed for San Francisco in the morning, right?”_

“That’s the plan,” Jensen answers. “Maybe not like, _morning_. Check out sounds more believable. Why?” 

_“Just curious. San Fran is awesome. You’ll like it,”_ Josh says thoughtfully. “ _Especially with you being queer and all.”_

“Yeah, thanks.” Jensen rolls his eyes and stretches. “Was there a point to this phone call?”

_“I just wanted to check up on my little brother, damn!”_ Josh says, affronted. _”Fine. I’ll let you go, you ungrateful little prick. Say hi to Jared for me.”_

“Sure thing,” Jensen yawns. “Love ya, Josh.”

_”I call bullshit but whatever, you too._ Jensen smiles as he slides his phone shut and manages to get out of bed and stumble into the bathroom. 

By the time he brushes his teeth and showers, he feels human again. When he comes out of the bathroom with his towel around his hips, Jared is sitting on the bed and flicking through the cable channels. 

“Hey,” Jensen says, going over to rummage through his luggage for some clothes. “Where’d you go?” 

“Do you have any idea how much they charge for lube in the gift shop?” Jared asks. “It’s fucking obscene.” Jensen snorts and drops his towel to pull on a pair of green plaid Bermuda shorts and a soft light green tee. “So I found a drug store down the street. Got the necessities – lube, Vaseline, candy, and caffeine.”

“Vaseline?” Jensen queries, grabbing his glasses from the nightstand and slipping them on. He flops down on the bed next to Jared, their thighs brushing. 

“For our tattoos,” Jared replies, reaching into the plastic bag next to him and pulling it out. “I was uh, reading the after care instructions. We have to keep Vaseline on them. And I sort of fucked us out of swimming for the rest of the trip, because you’re not supposed to like, submerge them in water or expose them to direct sunlight.”

“Oh. Well, who wants to get wet or be in the sun on a beach vacation anyway?” Jensen says sarcastically, cutting Jared a look. Jared smiles back sheepishly. 

“It’s almost over anyway,” Jared says. “And I don’t think you were planning on doing any swimming in San Francisco. Now come on. You do mine and I’ll do yours.” Jared hands over the small pot of Vaseline and waggles his eyebrows mischievously, lifting up the hem of his tee shirt. Jensen rolls his eyes and scoots closer, popping the lid off.

“Fine, but no funny stuff,” Jensen says as he scoops out a little bit of the clear goop and carefully rubs it across Jared’s tattoo. “We’re going exploring today. We’ve been in Santa Cruz two days and we’ve spent it most of it in a drunken sex haze.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it,” Jared says when they switch places. Jensen bites his lip as Jared’s fingers slide across the sensitive skin of his hip. 

“I did,” Jensen replies, pushing Jared’s hand away when it starts to wander up his stomach. “But I need more than sex, Jared. I need tide pools and sea lions. So get your ass up and let’s go!” 

Jensen bounces into the bathroom to put in his contacts and Jared laughs, rolling off of the bed and shaking his head.

They spend the day exploring.

Jensen is especially fascinated by the tide pools tucked behind Natural Bridge State Park. Jared has his omnipresent new digital camera ready. It was a graduation gift from his parents and he’s barely put it down. By now, Jensen is used to the incessant snapping of the flash. It’s like he has his own personal paparazzi, and he usually dreads checking Jared’s new photos on Myspace. But it’s sort of worth it see his status marked as _in a relationship_ and his default picture being one of him grinning while Jensen kisses his temple. Jared is nothing if not a romantic, and there’s no way Jensen can deny that he loves it being directed at him.

“Look at me!” Jared calls, and Jensen spins around. There is a gigantic natural bridge in the water behind him, and he poses, his smile bright. Jared snaps a picture and jogs to catch up with Jensen, and together they tackle the tide pools. 

It’s difficult, and Jared tucks his camera safely into its bag before they start climbing. The rocks are sharp and jagged, cold and slippery against their hands and feet. Soon they make their way to a relatively stable surface and Jared pulls his camera back out. Jensen smiles fondly and hops over a puddle before turning back to crouch down before it. He barely rolls his eyes when he catches another flash, and instead peers into the water. 

“Dude!” Jensen exclaims, pointing. “It’s one of those, um – shit, what are they called? The things Nemo lived in!” 

“An anemone?” Jared asks, fiddling with his camera as he crouches down. 

“Yeah!” Jensen says, and then looks up. “I dare you to poke it.” 

Jared shrugs and reaches into the water. Jensen reaches out and grabs his arm, nearly knocking them both backwards. 

“Not with your hand, dumbass!” Jensen shrieks. “They have like, toxins or something. Poke it with a stick!” 

“Do you see a stick anywhere?” Jared asks, and Jensen looks around at the vast expanse of stickless rock. He furrows his brow and leaves Jared with the task of taking awesome pictures of the anemone while he hunts down a stick. He finally finds a piece of driftwood and comes back holding it up, triumphant.

“This seems like a lot of work just to poke a defenseless animal,” Jared says, but that doesn’t stop him from switching his camera to video mode and grabbing the stick from Jensen. 

“Do not deny a man his simple pleasures,” Jensen states, and watches as Jared pokes the anemone with the stick. It wriggles, blossoming out like a vivid flower before curling in on itself tightly. “Worth it!” 

They both laugh, poking around the tide pools for a while longer before heading back to the beach. Once they reach the smooth expanse of sand, Jared switches his camera to playback mode and starts scrolling through the pictures as they walk. The wind whips around them frigidly, and Jensen is once again surprised at the temperature of the beach in July and glad he wore a light hoodie. 

He moves in closer to Jared anyway, both for warmth and to look at the pictures on the tiny screen of Jared’s camera. There are mostly pictures of Jensen himself, some posed and some candid, along with a lot of scenery and a fair amount of the one armed tourist shot, both of their faces smushed in the frame with not much ocean visible behind them. 

His fingers brush against Jared’s as they walk, and Jared casually catches them in his own. He tangles their fingers together without a thought, squeezing gently as his eyes stay focused on his camera. 

Jensen can’t help the way his heart beats a little faster and he ducks his head to hide his smile. He’s a walking cliché, strolling along a sandy beach hand in hand with his gorgeous boyfriend.

Cliché or not, he’s in love – and life doesn’t get much better than this.

Jared leads them towards the pier, fingers still entangled as they make their way down it. They duck into a gift shop to add to their shot glass collection and try on the most ridiculous sunglasses they can find. After leaving the store, the faint sound of barking reaches Jensen’s ears and his eyes light up.

“Sea lions!” He drags Jared over to the edge of the pier and looks down, bouncing up and down when he spots the sea lions littering the floating deck. “Take some pictures.” Jared laughs and pulls out his camera, leaning over the railing to get some shots. 

He looks over at Jensen, biting his lip at the pretty picture his boyfriend makes. Jensen’s cheeks are flushed with pleasure and the slight chill of the ocean air, hair fluttering in the breeze. He hasn’t cut it since they got together, and it’s beginning to curl slightly around his ears and at the nape of his neck. He stands up on his tiptoes, green eyes shining as he leans over the railing. Jared takes a few steps back to focus his lens on Jensen instead. 

Jensen is by far his favorite subject, has been for a while, even before they started dating. 

Jensen spots a staircase a few yards down the pier leading to a platform where they can get even closer. Jensen turns and gives him a childish grin, and Jared laughs as he lets himself be tugged along.

A few hours later finds them back at the boardwalk, new wristbands on top of the ones from last night. They stay until the sun dips down past the sea, riding all the rides and playing the old school carnival games. Jared wins Jensen a teddy bear at the ring toss and Jensen tucks it in the pocket of his hoodie, fluffy brown head peeking out. 

They stumble into the room later, Jared pressing Jensen firmly against the wall to kiss him before the door even closes. His fingers splay across Jensen’s chest, thumb and forefinger framing his collarbones. They kiss warmly, Jensen letting out a soft noise of approval and curling his fingers in Jared’s hoodie. 

Jared kicks the door shut and unzips Jensen’s hoodie at the same time. The pace is slow and languid, neither one of them in a hurry as they make their way towards the bed. Jensen pulls his shirt off and tosses it aside as Jared pushes him down onto his back. He loses his own shirt before he sinks to his knees before Jensen. He makes quick work of Jensen’s fly, pulling his shorts and underwear down and off. Jensen props himself up on his elbows to watch as a gorgeous flush works its way down his neck.

Jared slides his hands up Jensen’s inner thighs, spreading them apart slightly as he leans in. Wrapping his hand loosely around the base of Jensen’s dick, he leans in to press a kiss to the head. Jensen lets out a broken moan, his hand coming up to tangle in Jared’s unruly hair. 

Jared lets out a pleased noise and takes Jensen deep into his mouth, wriggling his tongue against the underside. Jensen moans and squirms, hips jerking. Jared puts his hands on Jensen’s hips, thumbs digging into the bones there. Jared bobs up and down, blowing Jensen wet and messy, humming happily. 

He pulls off when Jensen tenses, resting his forehead on Jensen’s hip as he breathes heavily. Jensen cradles Jared’s face in his hands, thumbs sliding along his cheekbones. Jared turns his head and takes Jensen’s thumb into his mouth, biting softly at the tip. 

He slides up Jensen’s body, kissing him softly as he slides his hands under Jensen’s back and flips them over in one seamless motion. 

“Ride me?” Jared asks breathlessly, biting down on Jensen’s bottom lip. Jensen sits up, straddling Jared’s thighs. He reaches over to grab the lube and presses it into Jared’s hand.

“If you get me ready,” Jensen replies, shifting up onto his knees and spreading his legs. Jared grins and gets lube on his fingers, sitting up slightly to reach between Jensen’s legs.

“You just love getting fingered,” Jared says, eyes lighting up when Jensen blushes. Jared teases, circling Jensen’s hole with one slick finger. Jensen whimpers, pushing his ass back, and Jared grins. He slips the tip of one finger inside only to pull it back out. Jensen grunts, slapping his palm down on Jared’s chest. 

“Stop fucking around,” Jensen growls, fingertips digging in. Jared slides his middle finger all the way in, crooking it until he presses against Jensen’s prostate. Jensen groans and lets his head fall back. Jared smiles and pulls his finger out. “Fuck, Jared.”

Jared suddenly shoves two fingers deep inside Jensen, making him cry out. He lifts himself higher on his knees, reaching back to spread his cheeks as Jared stretches him open. Jared watches Jensen’s face closely as he slides in a third finger. Jensen shivers, lips parting on a moan. 

Jensen slaps Jared’s hand away and grips the base of his dick. He sinks down onto it in one smooth motion, sitting on Jared’s lap with his cock buried deep inside. They both let out soft moans, Jensen letting his head tilt back as he starts to move up and down. 

It’s not long before they’re coming, shouts echoing off of the walls and no doubt giving their neighbors quite a treat. Jensen collapses next to Jared in a sticky pile, wiping his hand through the mess on his stomach. 

“That was awesome,” Jared says, all matter of fact. “Not as awesome as sex on the balcony would have been, but still good.”

“Fuck off!” Jensen laughs, and pushes Jared off of the bed with his feet. Jared flails wildly and hits the floor with a loud thump. Jensen laughs so hard he has to wipe tears from his eyes.

Jared wakes him up early, hours before checkout, so they can go get a waffle. Jensen gripes and bitches but lets himself be dragged along, clad in only his pajamas, flip-flops and sunglasses.

After they’ve eaten their fill, they head back upstairs to shower and pack. Jensen’s tattoo still stings a little, but it’s not as red and inflamed as it had been yesterday. Jared’s already looks all healed, soft and smooth like it’s been there for years. It still shocks Jensen when he sees it, a permanent mark on Jared’s body that’s all for him. It makes him flush, all warm and possessive. 

Jensen presses Jared against the wall before they leave, kisses him softly and slides his fingertips across the inked lines on his hip. Jared’s hand automatically goes to Jensen’s tattoo and he kisses him harder, tongue going deeper and teeth nipping just a bit harder. 

“I’m getting used to these,” Jensen says, the words muffled against Jared’s mouth. “Ready to go?”

“San Francisco or bust,” Jared replies, swiping his tongue across Jensen’s bottom lip before pulling away to grab the luggage. Jensen watches the pull of muscle under Jared’s tan skin as he lifts the bags, smiling softly at Jared when he’s caught in the act. Jared winks, and Jensen rolls his eyes. He slips his sunglasses on and heads out into the bright, hot California sunshine. 

It’s about an hour and a half drive to San Francisco, and they make it into the bustling city around lunchtime. Jensen turns off the radio and sits forward in his seat, shushing Jared every time he tries to talk. 

The city streets are narrow and crawling with pedestrians. They dip suddenly; following the hills San Francisco is famous for. Cars, taxis, and trolleys all compete for the same space on the road, and it makes Jensen more than a little bit nervous.

They stop for lunch at pretty much the first place Jensen can find with a convenient parking space even though they’re both still pretty full from the late breakfast. They order coffee and leaf through a city guide, idly making plans and killing time until they can go check into their hotel. 

When they finally do arrive at their hotel on the edge of Union Square, Jensen wrinkles his nose at the somewhat derelict building. They have to park in a public garage half a block from the hotel, and Jensen feels just a little bit swindled as they enter the lobby. 

The building is ancient, so much so that Jared has to duck under doorways. The person behind the counter can barely speak English, the elevator is broken, and when they finally get to the room there are two twin beds instead of the king Jensen requested. 

“Okay,” Jensen says, dropping his bag on the musty carpet. “Hotels.com is _so_ gonna hear about this.” 

He turns to see Jared eyeing the miniscule bathroom dubiously, as if wondering how the hell his gigantic ass is even going to fit in there. Jensen sighs, frustration making his cheeks burn.

“I’m sorry, Jared,” he starts, arms flapping uselessly at his sides. “I sort of blew the budget on the nicer hotels and the condo, and surprising you with Disneyland. And I swear this place didn’t look this bad on the website and – shit.” 

“Jen, calm down,” Jared replies, chuckling softly. “It’s _fine_.” Jensen still doesn’t look convinced, so Jared walks over to him and places his hands on Jensen’s cheeks, forcing the shorter boy to look up at him. “This trip has been amazing, Jensen. You’ve done more for me than I could ever ask for, and a run down hotel isn’t going to put a damper on our good time, okay?” 

“Okay,” Jensen replies, nodding. Jared gives him a soft kiss and pulls away. He drops down onto the bed closest to the door, and the springs squeak ominously. 

“This way is good,” Jared assures him. “Because now when I fuck you stupid and make you come all over yourself, neither of us will have to sleep in the wet spot.” 

There’s a sudden banging like a fist against a wall, and a loud catcall from the room next door. Jensen is mortified, blood rushing to his cheeks. Jared laughs and sits up, grabbing Jensen’s hips and pulling him close. 

“Quietly,” he whispers, grinning wide and leaning in to press a kiss to the center of Jensen’s chest. “I’ll fuck you quietly.”

They leave the hotel to go exploring. Jared’s camera is fully charged and ready to go, and Jensen wonders just how fucking big the memory card in that thing is because Jared never seems to stop snapping pictures.

They scour Union Square, ducking into swanky shops just to laugh at the prices and try on ridiculous clothes until holier than thou employees kick them out. They wander around until they get their fill of San Francisco’s shopping district (which doesn’t take very long) and then they park it on a stone bench and crack open their city guide, looking every bit like tourists that they are. 

“Ooh, Fisherman’s Wharf!” Jared exclaims, jabbing at the map. Jensen shakes his head. 

“We’ve got tickets for Alcatraz tomorrow so we’ll be out there anyway,” Jensen replies. “We could go to the Castro and hit a club or something?” 

“The gay mecca!” Jared laughs, looping his arm around Jensen’s shoulders. “We can mingle with our people.”

“Something like that,” Jensen chuckles, already mentally weighing their public transportation options. Driving is out. He’s actually hoping he won’t have to drive again until they’re ready to leave the city. 

“Let’s do that,” Jared says, rustling Jensen’s hair. “But can we eat first?” 

“Yeah,” Jensen replies. “I could eat.” 

They decide on The Cheesecake Factory on the top floor of Macy’s, and even though it was almost a week ago now, Jensen tells the waitress it’s Jared’s birthday. Jared blushes as they sing to him and smirks at Jensen as he blows out the candle on his complimentary slice of cheesecake. 

It’s around eight by the time they get back to the hotel, and they both manage to take a shower. Though not at the same time. That would be physically impossible in a shower that size. While Jared showers, Jensen plugs in his blow dryer, which hey, air drying takes forever and Jared used to use it before he even started liking dick, so whatever. 

He does his hair and goes through the clothes in his suitcase, some still in shopping bags, trying to find something suitable for a club. He finally settles on a pair of tight black jeans, a light gray tee, and the black military jacket he wore the other night. It’s slightly wrinkled and smells sort of like sea salt and tequila, but it works. 

Jared comes out of the bathroom then, stopping dead in his tracks when he sees Jensen.

“You’re seriously trying to kill me, aren’t you?” Jared asks, flicking his wet hair out of his eyes as he looks Jensen up and down. “Where did you even _get_ all these clothes?” 

“Uh, Sandy took me shopping,” Jensen says, studying himself in the mirror over the vanity and wrinkling his nose. It’s amazing how great he and Sandy get along now that Jared has stopped pining for her. 

“When?” Jared asks as he pulls his suitcase up on the bed. 

“That weekend you spent holed up at Chad’s playing Dead or Alive until your eyes bled,” Jensen replies as he slips on a pair of black canvas shoes. “She called me up and asked me to go, and she wouldn’t let me buy anything that wasn’t like, a size too small.”

“Remind me to send her a thank you card.” Jared watches as Jensen slides a hand down his flat stomach, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in his jacket. When he lifts his arms to mess with his artfully ruffled hair, his shirt slips up enough to expose the top of his tattoo peeking out from above the waistband of his jeans. “You don’t even have any idea how hot you are, do you?” 

“Neither did you until two months ago,” Jensen says casually, but his cheeks are pink and he’s smirking. 

“Yeah, well, I’m an idiot,” Jared replies, giving Jensen one last long look before he does his hair. He decides on jeans and a pink button down as his going out clothes, and they head out of the room. 

They hear raucous laughter as they head downstairs, and when they reach the lobby the first thing they see is the annoyed glare of the front desk clerk aimed at the sitting area. Suddenly, two strong arms wrap around Jensen from behind and he lets out a squeak. 

“Jenny!” The guy shouts, and Jensen struggles against the grip even more than when he thought it was a stranger. 

“Chris?” He replies, craning his head back only to get a face full of long brown hair. 

“Hands off, Kane!” Jared shouts playfully, pulling Jensen out of Chris’s grip and into his own. “You don’t get to touch anymore.”

“Spoilsport,” Chris smirks, and Jensen whips around to face the rest of the lobby. Josh, Jeff, Steve, Mike, Tom, and even Chad take up every available sitting space in the lobby. 

“What the fuck are you all doing here?” Jensen shouts, completely shocked to see everyone. Josh gets up and saunters over, a cocky grin on his face. 

“Chris and Steve had a gig in San Jose last night,” he says. “It was too perfect. You never should have given the moms a copy of your itinerary.” 

“How did you all even get here?” Jared asks, reaching out to bump fists with Chad. 

“The van,” Josh answers, the _duh_ going unsaid. 

“Seven people traveling over 500 miles in a van with only two seatbelts,” Jensen says dryly. “Yeah, that’s safe.” 

“Whatever. Where are you guys heading tonight?” Josh asks. “And why the fuck do you look like you just stepped out of a Panic at the Disco video?” 

“He looks fuckin’ hot,” Jared says, slinging his arm around Jensen’s shoulder and pushing Josh with his other hand. “Lay off.”

“Whatever man,” Josh replies, chuckling. “You didn’t answer my first question.” 

“A club. In the Castro,” Jensen adds, when their eyes light up. 

“Oh, so like a gay club,” Jeff says. Jensen rolls his eyes. 

“That’s sort of a given,” Jensen says. They all seem to have some sort of telepathic conversation with each other, glancing around and exchanging eyebrow raises, shrugs, and grins. It sort of freaks Jensen out. 

“I’m up for it,” Mike says. Tom laughs and punches his shoulder. 

“You’re up for anything,” he says. Mike just grins at him. 

“Gay club it is,” Steve says, getting up and clapping his hands together. 

“I don’t wanna go to a gay club!” Chad cries, and Chris flicks his ear. 

“What does it matter to you anyway, dickweed?” Chris asks. “You’ve got that pretty little girl waitin’ for you at home.” 

“That’s right,” Chad says haughtily. “Fine, whatever. I’m in. But the first guy that tries to get all up in my jock is getting kicked in the balls.”

“So it’s settled,” Chris announces. “We’re following the queers to the Castro. Now go get your shit, kids.”

“Why?” Jensen asks.

“Because when I saw what a shithole this place was, I took the liberty of booking you guys a room at our hotel. It’s only a few blocks away, and it’s you know, not a fucking dump.”

“Hey!” The desk clerk shouts, looking more pissed off by the second.

“Sorry!” Chris yells back. “Now let’s _go_.”

“We can’t afford it, Chris,” Jensen says, and Chris pushes them towards the stairs. 

“I said me and Steve got it covered,” he tells them. “Consider it a birthday present, Jared.” 

“Hey, I’ll take it,” Jared shrugs, grabbing Jensen’s hand and tugging him up the rickety stairs. 

“Go,” Chris says. “I’ll get you all checked out here.” Jensen shrugs and follows Jared up the stairs to quickly pack up their shit. 

“Oh fuck,” Jensen says, and Jared turns to face him. “That means I have to fucking drive again.”

Jared’s booming laugh echoes around the tiny room.

Actually, Josh drives Jensen’s car the short distance through heavy traffic while Jensen bitches about being relegated to the backseat of his _own fucking car_.

The hotel they pull up to is nice, nothing too fancy but they do have valet service. Chris, Steve, Josh, and Jeff are all bunked in one double room while Chad, Mike, and Tom share another. Jared and Jensen get their own room, because the general consensus is that no one wants the hear them fucking all night. 

They drop off their shit and catch the F line, the historic trolley that cuts through the city, down to the Castro. It’s dark by the time they all finally arrive, but the main drag is packed with people. Rainbow flags line the streets and drag queens seem to mix seamlessly with the crowd. 

There are stores with names like _Rock Hard_ , proudly displaying sex toys in the windows. There’s a pizza place called _The Sausage Factory_ and someone whistles as they walk by. 

“This place is fucking _awesome_ ,” Jensen crows, eyes bright and excited. Jared laughs and slings his arm around Jensen’s shoulders as they walk. The club they choose has a bit of a line, but the dance music is loud enough that the sidewalks vibrate with the force of the bass. 

While they wait, Jared wonders how they’re going to get in without ID, but Jensen doesn’t seem too concerned. They bring up the back of the line, and Jared’s fears ease as the bouncer doesn’t ask to see a single ID. The huge bouncer even winks at Jensen as they pass and Jared pulls him tighter against his body. Well, this should be a fun night – getting steadily more jealous and possessive as guys hit on his flaming twink of a boyfriend. 

Awesome. 

They’re all drunk within the hour, and Chad quickly finds himself enamored with some sort of pink drink with an umbrella in it. Jared, Jensen, Mike, and Tom spend a lot of time at the bar ordering the shots with the dirtiest names.

“Can I get a Blowjob?” Jensen screams over the music, leaning over the bar and licking his plump lips. He checked his jacket as soon as they walked in the door and the thin tee he’s wearing clings obscenely to him, like a second skin. It rides up when he leans over the bar, revealing the scintillating curve of his lower back, tan skin stretched tight over muscle and bone. 

Jared sort of wants to tell everyone in the club to avert their fucking eyes. 

“Name the time and place, baby,” the bartender says suggestively, grinning slyly and leaning over the bar. Jared slams back his shot (a Screaming Orgasm, which he’s totally giving Jensen later) and gets behind Jensen, fitting himself tight up against him, sliding his hand down Jensen’s chest to press his fingertips to his tattoo. 

“Just put it on my tab,” Jared says, giving the bartender a meaningful look as Jensen practically purrs, pushing back against Jared and reaching up to cup his cheek. 

“Mm, hi,” Jensen says, pressing his forehead against Jared’s jaw. 

“You’re drunk,” Jared laughs, fingertips trailing along the waistband of Jensen’s jeans. It’s not like Jared himself is anywhere near sober, but drunk Jensen is a fun Jensen. A _very_ fun Jensen, if he plays his cards right.

“Am not,” Jensen says, pressing an open mouthed kiss to Jared’s jaw as the bartender sets the shot down, staring openly at them. And what a pretty picture they must make. 

“Sloppy drunk,” Jared counters, just as Jensen’s tongue finds the sensitive spot below his ear. 

“Drunk enough to blow you in the bathroom,” Jensen breathes, hot and slow into his ear. Jared’s been half hard all night, desire and possessiveness settling low in his stomach, but he grows harder at Jensen’s words. He rocks his hips into Jensen’s ass, makes him gasp. The bartender only looks away when Tom slams down a five and demands a Red Headed Slut. 

Jared is just about to pull Jensen away from the bar, to find a bathroom or a dark corner, any place that he can get those slick, puffy lips of Jensen’s wrapped around his cock. Then suddenly a heavy weight slams into them from behind, sending Jensen crashing into the bar. He nearly knocks over the shot but he rights himself, grabs it, and knocks it back like a pro even with Jared pressing him into the bar. 

“What the fuck, Jeff?” Jared asks, and is shocked when he turns to find his brother shirtless, covered in a fine sheen of sweat. 

“Dude, this place is fucking _amazing_!” Jeff’s hips are shaking a little to the music, and Jared’s jaw drops open in horror. “I have not paid for a drink all fucking night. If this is what being gay is like, sign me the fuck _up_!” 

“What about the part where you have to take it up the ass?” Jared asks, raising one eyebrow. 

“I like that part,” Jensen says absently, snapping his fingers to get the bartender’s attention before pointing at Chad’s pink drink and holding up two fingers. Jared snorts, keeping one hand on his hip before he decides to wander off and make friends. Drunken Jensen is also a friendly Jensen. 

“Dude, if it means I get to be this fucking trashed for free all the time, I will seriously consider it,” Jeff says, and Jared wrinkles his nose. A cute guy comes up to the bar behind Jared, and Jeff winks. “Watch this.”

Jared and Jensen turn to watch Jeff plant himself at the guy’s side, leaning in and whispering in his ear. Jared resists the urge to gag.

“They have been playing this game all night,” Steve says, suddenly at their side. “It’s ridiculous.”

The guy orders Jeff a drink and Jeff winks at him as he takes a sip. Just as the guy opens his mouth to speak, Josh comes up to them, also shirtless, and throws his arms around Jeff. 

“Baby!” Josh shrieks, and Jensen nearly chokes on his fruity pink drink. Jared slaps him on the back. “Come dance with me!” Jeff shrugs apologetically and leaves with Josh, leaving the guy alone and frustrated. 

“All night they’ve been running interference on each other,” Steve laughs, nursing a beer. “Cockblocking for the greater good.” 

“That was beautiful,” Chad says, and then hiccups. His lips are stained pink from his drink, but Jared doesn’t tell him. 

“Adios, motherfucker!” Jensen screams at the bartender, and then starts laughing. Jared rolls his eyes and puts his hand over Jensen’s mouth. A few moments later, a drink is set down in front of him.

“Holy shit. That’s a drink? I was just saying goodbye!” Jensen grabs the shot and the bartender smirks before heading down the bar. Jensen downs the shot with a wince and slams the glass back down. He turns in Jared’s arms, hands sliding up to tug at the open collar of Jared’s shirt. 

“I wanna dance, baby,” he says, and wrinkles his freckled nose like Josh has forever tainted the endearment. “Dance with me.” 

“You know I can’t dance,” Jared says, smirking at the pleading look in Jensen’s eyes. 

“It’s easy!” Jensen says, grabbing Jared’s hips and pushing him back into the crowd. He flings his arms around Jared’s neck and fits their hips together, rolling them in time with the music. “Just move with me,” Jensen says, tongue flicking out to lick at Jared’s ear. “You’re good at moving with me.” 

Jared growls, grips Jensen’s hips and pulls him even tighter, following Jensen’s lead as he catches Jensen’s lips in a heated kiss. 

A few songs later, they’re not so much dancing as they are grinding against each other and making out. Jared has somehow woven his hand up the back of Jensen’s shirt, pulling it up as he grips the back of Jensen’s neck. He’s attempting to work his other hand down the back of Jensen’s jeans, palm slipping on sweat slick skin, but they’re too tight. He feels dizzy from too much alcohol, too many bodies in one place, so much kissing. 

“Don’t make me break out the hose!” Chris says suddenly, knocking into them. Jared’s teeth snag on Jensen’s bottom lip, biting down before he jerks away. When Jared looks over at him, Chris is eyeing Jensen’s exposed back appreciatively. Jared pulls Jensen’s shirt down, snags his thumb in Jensen’s belt loop. 

Jared loves Chris like a brother, but he doesn’t like the way he looks at Jensen sometimes – eyes all dark and hungry like he forgets Jensen is off limits. It’s still too easy to remember what they looked like all wrapped up together, and irrational or not, sometimes Jared hates Chris a little for ever touching Jensen. 

“Check it out,” Chris says, distracting Jared from his less than friendly thoughts when he gestures over his shoulder. Josh is grinding against some pretty girl, their tongues tangling as the lights glitter on their bare skin. 

“Leave it to Josh to find the straight chick in a gay bar,” Jensen giggles, leaning heavily on Jared. “And fuck her.”

“No, wait for it,” Chris says delightedly. The crowd parts a little and they can see Jeff behind the girl. She’s sandwiched between them, their hands on her slim hips as they both grind against her. 

“Holy shit!” Jared cackles. “How much have they had to _drink_?” 

“Don’t even ask, son,” Chris replies. “They asked for it, playing all these poor guys for fools. They wanted all the free drinks. Let them reap the benefits.”

Chris laughs loudly and claps Jared on the back before turning away and weaving his way back towards the bar. Jared and Jensen’s eyes stay locked on the train wreck that is their brothers for much longer than necessary.

“I can’t look away,” Jensen says, all quick and panicky. “I can’t look away!” 

Jared chuckles and takes Jensen’s hand. He tangles their fingers together and leads him through the crowd until they find an empty couch near the back wall. Jared falls back onto it, smirking up at Jensen. 

“Let’s make out,” Jared slurs, and Jensen’s eyes light up. He straddles Jared’s lap and sits down, pressing their lips together soft and insistent. Jared is more than aware of all the eyes on him, and he tangles his fingers in Jensen’s sweaty hair, the others tucked possessively in Jensen’s back pocket. 

Sometime later, when Jared’s lips feel bruised from overuse and he’s sure Jensen has marked up every inch of his neck, Chris and Steve drop down onto the couch on either side of them. 

“Last call, boys!” Steve announces. “You kids ready to go?” 

“Uh,” Jared says, feeling the hard press of Jensen’s dick against his thigh as he fastens his lips against Jared’s neck when he pulls away to speak. “I think so. If I don’t get Jensen to our room soon I think I’m gonna have to start charging for the show.”

“Let ‘em look,” Chris replies. “You’re a lucky boy.” 

“I know I am,” Jared says slowly, looking over at him for a moment before turning back to Steve. “Where’s everybody else?” 

“Well, uh, Chad got scared ‘cause some leather daddy kept hitting on him,” Steve says, smirking. “So he ran off and Tom and Mike went to console him. They’re at the diner up the street.” 

“Josh and Jeff?” He inquires, hissing when Jensen bites down on his collarbone. He won’t stop fucking _squirming_ , leaving Jared hard as nails, drunk as fuck, and stumbling through this conversation.

“Those assholes left with that girl,” Chris says jovially, throwing his head back and laughing. “Looked real cozy, too. Shit. That’ll be fun.” 

Jared chuckles and places his hands on Jensen’s cheeks, pushing him away from his neck. He’s literally afraid to look in a mirror. “Wanna go back to the hotel?” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Jensen says, nodding eagerly like this is the best idea he’s ever heard. “I wanna go. I wanna suck you _so bad_.”

“Okay!” Jared says loudly, flushing a little. “Yeah, we’re ready to call it a night.”

“I bet,” Chris says, one eyebrow raised. “I’d be eager to get back, too.” 

Jared’s gaze turns cold. Like he wants to be fucking reminded of Chris and Jensen’s past all the time. He’s about to say something, but Jensen leans forward and kisses his lips softly, mumbles about how much he loves him against his skin, and well, Chris never got that. 

They manage to get out of the club without much incident. Jared’s bar tab ends up being much less than he expected, and the bartender gives him a wink as he gives him his receipt. They grab their coats and head outside. The late night air is a sudden shock to them after spending hours in the sweltering club, and Jensen burrows closer to Jared as they walk towards the diner. 

It’s warm and bright inside, and they find Chad in the corner nursing an ice cream sundae. Mike and Tom sit across from him with coffees, looking like they’re trying their best not to laugh.

“Aw, Chad,” Jensen starts, far too loud for the small diner. “Did the big bad bear scare you?” He sits down next to Chad and wraps his arms around him. Chad looks pained. 

“He said my pretty little twink ass would look good in a sling!” Chad shouts, suddenly turning to seek comfort from an abnormally friendly Jensen. 

“Least y’know you’re pretty,” Jensen slurs, petting Chad’s hair. Chad rests his chin on Jensen’s shoulder, looking at the rest of the group with pleading eyes. 

“I just wanna go back to the hotel,” Chad says, sad and dejected. “I want to call Sophia, maybe cry a little.”

“Agreed,” Steve says. “I flew past happy drunk and I’m now just wanna get the fuck in a bed drunk. And hey, Chris, at least we don’t have to bunk up tonight. I doubt Josh and Jeff are gonna come round to claim their bed.”

“I get my own bed, too!” Chad squeaks, and Jensen shushes him, still petting his hair. Mike and Tom just roll their eyes and shrug. 

The streets still seem to be bustling when they leave the diner, even at two in the morning. They take two cabs back to the hotel, and the lobby is oddly silent as they walk through it. The loud music seems to have permanently damaged Jared’s eardrums, and he doesn’t talk much in fear of being too loud. 

Their rooms are all adjoining, Chris and Steve’s sandwiched in the middle. They all murmur sleepy goodnights to each other and duck into their own rooms. Jared had assumed Jensen would pass out as soon as he was in the vicinity of a bed, but he apparently has other ideas, and a promise to make good on. 

“Get naked,” he says before he presses his lips to Jared’s in a wet kiss. Jared was exhausted to the core a second ago, but he suddenly feels as if he’s gotten a second wind. They shuck their clothes in record time and Jensen pushes Jared back onto the bed. He climbs between Jared’s thighs and dips his head, pressing suckling little kisses to Jared’s tattoo. He lets out a soft moan as Jensen laps at the sensitive skin. 

He dips lower to slurp at Jared’s cock, letting out loud, appreciative moans and he hums as he sucks him down. 

Jared takes a second to look at the closed adjoining door between the rooms and wonder if Chris can hear them, if he’s listening. 

But then Jensen proceeds to give him the wettest, filthiest blowjob he’s gotten in his entire fucking _life_ , and he can’t bring himself to care. 

Let him listen all he fucking wants.

Jensen wakes to a pounding at their door the next morning, and he tenses before he even opens his eyes, trying to gauge his hangover.

It’s surprisingly not too bad, probably in thanks to the bottles of water he chugged before drinking and the Tylenol Jared forced him to take before he passed out. 

But he still doesn’t feel awesome, and he scrubs at the dried come on his cheek as he rolls out of bed and stumbles to the door. He almost forgets that he’s naked, and he pauses to pull on a pair of black boxer briefs that he’s pretty sure are the ones Jared was wearing last night. 

Jared, unsurprisingly, doesn’t stir even as the pounding gets louder. Jensen gets to the door and wrenches it open, wincing at the light that floods in from the hallway. Chris stands there, wearing a smirk. Jensen leans heavily against the doorframe, unashamed of his near naked state. Chris takes a moment to look him up and down, and yeah, Jensen knows he looks fucking fantastic, all tan and lean. 

“Holy shit,” Chris says, reaching out to poke at Jensen’s tattoo. He slaps his hand away, and doesn’t acknowledge his distinguishing mark.

“Can I fucking help you?” Jensen yawns, rubbing at his eyes with the backs of his hands. 

“We’re all going downstairs for breakfast,” Chris says. “So, regrettably I must tell you to put some clothes on and wake up your boyfriend so you can join us.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jensen says, waving his hand. “Give us like fifteen minutes.” Chris takes one last look at his body and Jensen rolls his eyes, shutting the door in his face.

They shuffle into the diner in the hotel lobby about twenty minutes later, Jared yawning blearily and looking for all the world like he wants to curl up and die. His neck is littered with hickeys, and it makes Jensen flush with heat to see his marks on Jared’s perfect skin.

Theirs is a haggard looking crew at best. Chris and Steve look okay, due to their excessive experience in the art of being functioning alcoholics, but Chad is even squintier than usual and Mike has head down on the table, eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Jensen’s not even sure he’s awake. Tom is rubbing his temples slowly, lips moving silently as if in prayer. Jared drops heavily into a chair and Jensen sends up a silent thank you to the hangover gods, because they’re apparently smiling down upon him today. 

“Morning, boys!” Jensen says cheerily, boastfully, as he drops down next to Jared. He smiles gleefully at their grumbling. 

“Fuck you,” Chad says, squinting over at him. He could also be glaring, but Jensen isn’t sure. “You were so drunk last night you were borderline retarded. How are you not dead and dying like the rest of us?” 

“Just lucky I guess,” Jensen replies, rubbing Jared’s back when he groans. “Just get a really greasy breakfast, Jay. You’ll feel better.” Jared just nods, yawning as he reaches for his menu. “Anyone heard from Josh and Jeff?”

“Yeah,” Chris says, smirking. “Josh sent me a text saying they’d meet us here.” 

The waitress comes by to take their order then, and Jared orders the greasiest thing on the menu. Tom orders for Mike, which proves Jensen’s theory that he’s asleep at the table. 

Josh and Jeff come in a few minutes later in the same clothes they wore last night, looking completely disheveled. They walk stiffly, feet apart, and they share a nervous little look with each other when they see that the only two seats left at the table are together. They sit down, each shuffling sideways a little bit.

“Rough night?” Jensen asks, trying to bite down on his grin. Josh jumps a little and starts tearing up a napkin. 

“Uneventful,” Josh says loudly, eyes wide. “Nothing really to talk about.”

“We don’t need to talk about it,” Jeff adds quickly, and the two share a startled look before turning away from each other again.

“Oh, this is _delightful_ ,” Jared says quietly, leaning over so only Jensen can hear. Jensen just nods, grinning wildly. 

Silence falls over the table for a few minutes, wherein everyone watches Josh and Jeff with rapt fascination and Josh and Jeff look anywhere but at each other. That is, until they both reach for the orange juice carafe in the middle of the table at the same moment and their hands brush slightly.

“Don’t touch me!” Josh shrieks and Jeff blinks rapidly. 

“Oh come on, guys,” Jensen says, grinning. “Was it really that bad?”

“What was bad?” Josh demands. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Dude,” Jared says, cutting him a look. “Everyone at this table knows the two of you engaged in a devil’s threeway last night.”

“Shut your mouth, assfuck!” Jeff shrieks, and Chad leans over towards Jared.

“What’s a devil’s threeway?” He asks, and Jared throws up his hand in the devil horn’s signal, pinky and index finger extended. 

“Two dudes,” he stage whispers, and Chad turns to gape and Josh and Jeff. Josh lets his head fall to the table with a bang.

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Mike says, and Jensen starts a little because he didn’t even realize Mike had woken up and joined the conversation. “Did you two fuck or not?” 

“No!” Josh and Jeff shout in unison, and they share a helpless glance with each other. 

“It was just weird,” Josh says, looking panicky. “I don’t want to talk about it. Where’s the fucking waitress?”

“It was horrible,” Jeff says suddenly, eyes glazed over like he’s in a daze. He’s silent for a moment, and then he shudders comically. Josh’s lower lip trembles.

“Jensen got a tattoo,” Chris says out of the blue, as if trying to distract them. Josh’s eyes snap to Jensen in an instant.

“Chris!” Jensen shrieks, glaring at him. 

“You what?” Josh asks, eyebrow raised in that smug, superior way that makes Jensen feel about five years old. “When? And more importantly, _where_?” 

“Show ‘em,” Chris says, and Jensen glares daggers at him. He knows it’s useless to object, so he stands up dejectedly. He’s wearing track pants and a tee shirt, and he hooks his thumb in the waistband of the pants to pull them down a little as he lifts the shirt. Josh and Jeff take in the tattoo while Jared sniggers at his side. 

“At least it’s not a tramp stamp,” Josh says, pouring some orange juice. 

“Still pretty gay,” Jeff says, taking the carafe from Josh. They do seem momentarily distracted from their own unfortunate drunken antics, but knowing this group, they won’t be able to forget it for long.

“Speaking of pretty fucking gay,” Mike butts in, looking at Jeff over the top of his sunglasses. “What’s Josh’s dick like? Did you touch it? Lick it a little?” 

“Oh shit, sick burn!” Jared laughs, reaching over to high five Mike. 

“I will cut your head off and throw it in the ocean, Mike, I swear to fucking god,” Jeff grits out through clenched teeth. 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Josh says, obviously trying to change the subject again. “It’s cute, Jenny. Real cute.”

“Adorable,” Jared says, biting his lip in a useless effort to hide his grin. 

“Oh no,” Jensen says, tugging on his arm. “You are not throwing me under the bus. Jared got one, too. They were _his_ idea.”

“This I gotta see,” Jeff says, grinning. Jared rolls his eyes and stands up, mirroring Jensen’s pose until his matching tattoo is also visible.

“Holy shit. That’s fucking adorable,” Mike crows, and Chad raises an eyebrow at the matching lines of stars. Jared hip checks Jensen, just to show how the stars are meant to travel from one body to the other before he drops his shirt and sits back down. 

“You make me sick,” Chad says, face sour. “Stop it.” 

“Don’t be jealous of our love,” Jared says, and leans over to give Jensen a kiss that tastes like orange juice. 

Breakfast is fairly uneventful after that, and the gang heads upstairs to pack. Jared and Jensen have their room for another night, and they walk the guys downstairs to say goodbye.

“Make this quick,” Jensen says, twirling a finger in the air. “We’ve got to be on a boat to Alcatraz in two hours and I still have to shower the dance club and sex off of me.”

“Whatever,” Josh says, pulling Jensen into a one armed hug. “Drive safe, you fucking homo.”

“You don’t get to call me a homo now that you know what Jeff’s dick tastes like,” Jensen retorts, ducking under Josh’s swinging arm.

“I do _not_ know what Jeff’s dick tastes like, you little shit!” Josh shrieks. 

“It tastes like candy, if you’re curious,” Jeff says, ruffling Jared’s hair and slinging an arm around Josh’s shoulders. Josh turns his head slowly and gives Jeff a scandalized look. “Get in the van, honey,” Jeff says, and presses a quick kiss to Josh’s temple.

“Oh, so you and I are joking about this already, huh?” Josh says to Jeff, tone flat and sarcastic. “Great, I’m glad to hear it.” They both get in the van, and Jared and Jensen roll their eyes. “No, you sit over there,” Josh says loudly, voice filtering outside. “Sit away from me.”

“You guys hurry up and come home, okay?” Chad says, stepping in front of them. “Hanging out with these guys is fucking weird. I never know if they genuinely like me or if they just keep me around to make fun of me.”

“And the distinction is clear with us?” Jensen asks with a pleasant smile. Chad rolls his eyes and punches him in the shoulder. “Shut up, bitch. You love me. Well, I hope you two and your matching tattoos have fun in the city by the gay.”

With that, he gets in the van. Mike and Tom just give them mock salutes before climbing in, and Steve winks at them before getting in the driver’s seat. 

“Try not to rack too much shit up on my bill,” Chris says, pulling Jared into a hug. He does the same to Jensen, going so far as to press a quick kiss to Jensen’s temple. Jensen pushes him away and wipes the side of his face. 

“Later,” Jensen says, and Jared smoothly pulls Jensen up against his body.

“Try to make sure our brothers don’t touch each other inappropriately on the way home,” Jared says, grinning cheekily. 

“I heard that, you prick!” Josh yells, and the sound is drowned out by Jeff’s booming laugh.

They make it to the pier where they are supposed to board the ferry to Alcatraz with thirty minutes to spare, even after stopping for coffee. There is a slight chill in the air, because even though it’s the end of July, San Francisco seems to have some sort of weather glitch, because it’ll be sweltering in some places and freezing in others.

Jared is leaning against a guardrail, head tipped back so the sun hits his neck. Jensen shuffles closer, turning to stand directly in front of Jared, leaning back against him as he seeks warmth. Jared’s camera digs into Jensen’s back and Jared removes the strap from around his neck, placing it over Jensen’s instead and tugging Jensen closer by his hips. 

Jensen sighs happily and relaxes, letting Jared support all his weight. Jared hooks his thumbs in the front pockets of Jensen’s jeans. All the excitement is catching up with them, and Jensen feels exhausted but relaxed – soft and content, all pressed up against Jared

“It’s the last day of our trip,” Jensen says wistfully. “Going home tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Jared sighs, resting his chin on Jensen’s shoulder. “But that’s okay, because the best part of it is coming home with me.”

“What’s that, your shot glass collection?” Jensen asks playfully, and Jared nips his ear. 

“No, idiot. It’s you.”

Jensen smiles at that, turning his head to catch Jared’s lips in a soft kiss as they wait for the ferry.

They manage to see pretty much all the main tourist spots in one day, and by the time they stagger back into their room late that night they’re exhausted and Jensen is a little sunburned, but they’re happy.

Jensen showers and Jared orders champagne and strawberries from room service on Chris’s tab, just because he can. 

Tired as they are, they still share the fruit and drink the champagne. They make love, slow and face to face, Jared rocking into Jensen with deep, steady thrusts. He comes before Jensen, the sound he makes muffled against Jensen’s sweat slick skin. 

He pulls out and flips them over, kisses Jensen and coaxes him inside of him, relishing in the burn of Jensen filling him up. The feeling is so new, so fucking powerful, and he watches Jensen’s face as he comes. He’s so gorgeous, eyes bright green and skin flushed pink. 

They fall asleep tangled together under soft hotel sheets, Jensen’s head tucked under Jared’s chin.

Jared takes a deep breath, catalogues the moment. 

He’s never been more in love.

They leave late the next morning, just before check out time.

They’re taking the short route home, cutting across to Interstate 5 and riding it all the way down to LA. Jared takes over driving after Jensen navigates them out of the city, afraid to sip his coffee unless they’re at a red light. 

They make a lot of unnecessary stops, eager to get home but unwilling to let the trip end. 

Around sunset, Jensen is dozing in the passenger seat as Jared drives, cutting swathes through the rolling golden hills and vast nothingness that makes up most of the state. The radio is low, and Jensen listens when Jared starts to talk. 

“Does it ever surprise you how quickly we grew up?” Jared asks thoughtfully, and Jensen opens his eyes, shifts slightly so he can see Jared’s face. His hair is windblown and he’s got stubble on his chin. He’s silhouetted by the sunset, pinks and yellows highlighting his tan skin. 

“What?” Jensen asks softly, momentarily distracted.

“It’s just,” Jared sighs, obviously trying to find the words. “It seems like yesterday we were playing in sandboxes and eating dirt, and now look at us. I mean, I’m driving. I have a driver’s license and bills and responsibilities. I’m a _grown up_. When did that happen?”

“When you weren’t looking,” Jensen responds quietly, eyes drooping sleepily as the corners of his lips turn upwards. 

“Tell me about it,” Jared replies. “And next month we’re going to leave home and be on our own, going to _college_. And I’m excited. But it’s sort of sad, you know? To leave it all behind.” 

“Yeah,” Jensen says softly. “I know what you mean. It’s scary sometimes, growing up. But you’ve got me to protect you.” He reaches over to take Jared’s hand from where it had been resting on the center console. He slots their fingers together and squeezes, smiling over at him.

“Like I’d ever outgrow you,” Jared says, swiping his thumb back and forth across the back of Jensen’s hand until he falls asleep in the passenger seat.

Jensen takes over driving again once they near LA while Jared takes his turn to doze. It’s late by the time they get home, stretching what should have been an eight hour drive to twelve with all their pit stops.

Jensen pulls up to Jared’s house, comfortable and familiar in the moonlight. Jared is asleep, face smashed against the leather seat and his hand tangled with Jensen’s. He has to let go to put the car in park and turn off the ignition. 

“Jared,” he whispers, reaching over to push Jared’s hair off of his forehead. “Wake up. We’re home.”

Jared stirs, sitting up and stretching until his back pops. He nods sleepily and gets out of the car, stumbling a little on numb legs. Jensen yawns and gets out as well, coming around the front to stand at Jared’s side. 

“You’re staying here?” Jared asks, tilting his head to the side. Jensen furrows his brow, sleepy and puzzled.

“Well, yeah,” Jensen replies. “Did you not want me to?” 

“Of course I do,” Jared says. “Just wondering how you’re not sick of me yet.” 

“That’s a good question.” Jensen smirks and takes Jared’s hand, threading their fingers together as they trudge sleepily up the walkway to Jared’s house.

Because when it really comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter where they are – his house or Jared’s, a crappy hotel or a shiny new car. 

As long as he is with Jared, he’s home. 

[ _end_.]


End file.
